RE: Are you retired/unemployed/kids?
Interesting thread- I, too, have always been amazed at how some can get so much done. Besides the obvious traits of self-motivation and good time management skills, I have to say that many have an advantage over me because they spend less time asleep! Seriously, most of the people I know who are overacheivers are those who want no more than 5 or 6 hours a night.
I've tried, with some success, to reduce my dependency on sleep, but I guess it depends on the individual- obviously, you can't deprive yourself of what you need, but it's interesting to find out where your limit is. And sleep seems to be pattern driven, so once you establish a routine, you need to keep it up, even if you aren't working on the hobby late.
And the kill-your-tv ideas I've heard before- to me, that's a matter of discipline.