Why are the two weeks between Christmas and New Year’s the best two weeks of the year? These things come to mind: family and friends, traditions and spiritual renewal. But there is another reason why I love this time of year. In the United States, it is the only time in the whole year where it seems that everybody takes a break.
A True Freelancer’s Vacation
As a solo entrepreneur I am blessed to be able to set my own schedule and take time off whenever I want. My family and I try to take trips throughout the year at times when others might not be vacationing. It also helps that we homeschool our kids so we can take educational field trips as part of our vacations.
My problem as a solo web developer with no employees is that the web is always on and my customers don’t stop working when I am off. That means that I am permanently tethered to my PowerBook wherever I go and always aware of the closest wifi hotspot.
I have learned to manage my projects to allow me some down time throughout the year and usually succeed in protecting my “sacred” family time on the weekends. But there are always one or two projects that are “hot” during my time off and I end up getting pulled away to deal with issues.
The Stress of What Might Happen
What I have come to realize during these two quiet weeks of the year is that my stress level is considerably lower. There is no stress of “what might happen” or “be prepared just in case something goes wrong”. Proof? I went to the doctor yesterday and my blood pressure was normal for the first time in a long time. The difference, even though I am still working, is that I know that most of my customers are taking time off and that I can work on what I want to work on.
So, to all of my lovely Papasoft customers. Thank you for your business in 2008. And thanks for taking time off during these most wonderful two weeks of the year!
Here’s to a productive and profitable 2009!
rt