Game Development?

Bleh. I spend alot of time coding. I started lurking on this board to learn about graphics programming and game development because I wanted to relegate my computer work back to hobby status. I learned how to use Direct3D to load and manipulate models, did some basic texturing and then switched over to working on 2D graphics to create my first game using graphics, which was to be a Collapse clone. I had everything worked out except for 2 things; the scoring system, and "pathfinding" for like coloured blocks. Since then I have been doing exclusively contract work and hanging with my gf. I figured that I would have the opportunity to get back to collapse after my gf returned to China. No such luck. Within hours of her leaving, I got a message from my cousin who lives in New York, he has a pile of contract work that he has been sending me on a regular basis, and although I had found a part time job to stabilize my income while I am in school, I am now looking at leaving a regular job again (w00t). It seems however, that whenever stuff like this happens and I want to get out of computer programming as my source of income I get dragged back kicking and screaming ($30/hour is so much better than my "job"). The question I am leading to is how do the people here who are actually paid programmers as their primary source of income AND are not employed in the game develop industry balance programming for work, and programming for fun, especially when there is no division of the workplace (I work out of my home when I am contracting)