what works for me: I need to establish a "normal state" that includes some of this, achieve momentum and then add a little more. Most of us have a lot of slack hiding in the required activities, but you can't recapture this all at once. Do something scheduled but onyl a few hours a week. Once it ends, keep doing something scheduled in that timeslot - even if it's not "official" (ex: I go to the library on a specific day/time and study low-level electronics). It is way easier to keep going with your normal routine and supplement than it is to make big changes all at once.