Time off, and the no New Year’s resolution rule…
The winter holiday season is so odd for people who can’t take time off from work. OK, I’m talking about myself.
I was able to take only a couple of days off the last few weeks … mainly the days when I couldn’t work even if I wanted to — Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
My husband yelled at me for most of the last two weeks because I was grinding away in my office when I had promised him I would be able to take a few more days off so we could spend time all together. I missed the family visit to Longwood Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden near by, and I missed a lot of hanging around and being lazy time.
It’s difficult when you are a freelancer/contractor. If you don’t work you don’t get paid. So I have to find the discipline to schedule time off. That means time management. How do you freelancers manage your time off?
Should I make a New Year’s resolution to schedule some vacation time?
NO! No resolutions, especially when it comes to our careers.
My column this week on MSNBC deals with how people should never use resolutions to help give some life to career decisions.
If you want a new job get a plan in place, don’t just make emotional leaps and bounds.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
As a formerly self-employed computer tech, the answer to time off around the holidays is three-fold:
(1) Plan it (put it on the calendar).
(2) Notify your customers (your publishers, Eve).
(3) Work like a dog for weeks before the time off to get all the work done you’d normally complete during your time away. Write some articles and posts in advance–your web publisher should have some tools that would allow you to write blog posts in advance and have them appeared on specific days. To be ethical, include a note in each post that informs your readers that you are on holiday and that the post was written in advance.
Doing this should not be a New Year’s resolution for you. It is an absolute MEDICAL NECESSITY to help ensure that you maintain your sanity.
I have to say that, having returned to a traditional day job about 10 years ago, paid time off is a really nice benefit.
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
HikingStick has given some very good suggestions.
I’ll be the first to admit that as a freelancer it’s very hard to take time off, and even more so now that the 24/7 world demands our immediate attention, since the hardest part is just turning your brain to “vacation” mode.
Begin by setting small goals for yourself. On day 1, you won’t check e-mail or phone but twice a day. On day 2, you won’t look at e-mail or phone but one time, and nothing before noon. On day 3, you shut the door to your office and don’t look at your computer or phone. On day 4, you’ll discover you’re starting to breath again. On day 5, your family says: “Wow…you’re smiling!” Now you’re ready to really take time off.
Anita Bruzzese
www.45things.com
January 3rd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Ahhh, paid time off. How I miss that.
Great suggestions from both of you. The “work like a dog” comment doesn’t help me that much because I’ve been working like a dog lately almost all the time..at least that’s what my hubby would say.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Don’t forget that you need to schedule “down time” throughout each day and during each week. The old concept of Sabbath was to get all the work done during six days, so you would have one day each week to reflect and recover. We were not made to run full-throttle week in and week out, month after month after month.
If you’re first instinct is to respond “But you have no clue how much I have to do,” then you may just have to look at cutting some things out of your schedule (seriously). This advise is coming from a married father of nine who is in a graduate program while holding down a full time day job, a part time teaching gig, and a volunteer position (any tips on selling that load in my resume or cover letter?). I’ve had to give up other commitments in non-profits, and even slowed down my degree progress (by not taking classes during the same months when I am teaching) to make things work. I still struggle to set aside my rest time, but do have a few “sacred” times I will not interrupt each week. Examine your own life, decide what really needs to stay and what can go, and make some adjustments. You’ll find yourself better able to enjoy life, and better able to fulfil your other responsibilities.
January 4th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
lol–I love how my spelling and grammar skills tank when posting comments in blogs (e.g., “advise” vs. “advice”).
January 4th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
man! i do that all the time! i do need down time.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Eve, I know exactly what you mean. It’s the same for some business owners. OK, I’m talking about myself
I find it difficult not to work when there’s always something that could be done. We publish books, and there is always another book to be assigned, or edited, or marketed. But it is tiring to not take a break. In 2008, I’m looking to expand other areas of my life. That includes reading “The Artist’s Way” (finally), planning at least one new activity per month, maybe even taking a pottery class, just doing something to shake things up. Thank you for your wonderful blog posts which give us such valuable food for thought.