I'll add my personal bent on this -- if a project (paid or otherwise) really turns my gears, then I have to be careful not to have it turn into an all-consuming obsession. Caring about productivity and quality is "free" in a sense, because it's all I'm about.
This is why the most important criteria I have when considering taking a job isn't pay or benefits, it's whether or not I find the work itself interesting enough.
When I find myself half-assing something, it's because I'm not really interested in it. That's the time when I need to change projects/jobs, or find someone else who wants to do the parts that I clearly don't.
I'll add my personal bent on this -- if a project (paid or otherwise) really turns my gears, then I have to be careful not to have it turn into an all-consuming obsession. Caring about productivity and quality is "free" in a sense, because it's all I'm about.
This is why the most important criteria I have when considering taking a job isn't pay or benefits, it's whether or not I find the work itself interesting enough.
When I find myself half-assing something, it's because I'm not really interested in it. That's the time when I need to change projects/jobs, or find someone else who wants to do the parts that I clearly don't.