Freelancing Angst: When The Work Never Ends!

Far be it for me to say that someone is working too hard, but when I read an article this week in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) detailing the endless work week that some freelancers are experiencing, I immediately thanked God that I wasn’t in their shoes. In, “For the Self-Employed, It’s an Endless Workweek,” the WSJ showcased an emerging trend among some freelancers who fearing the current job market, they cancel or shorten vacations; leave home fully connected with laptop, blackberry or cell phone nearby; or embrace some other behavior that leaves everyone else miserable and themselves tired.

I Work All Night I Work All Day…

I’m not surprised that the trend to work all of the time has been emerging. After all, with work hard to come by and with more freelancers then ever to count among the competition, any delay getting back to a potential customer could mean lost business. Perhaps forever. People know that if you’re not available someone else is, especially if they’re looking to use you to work on a one-off project such as writing a press release, updating web content or helping them with a time sensitive marketing campaign.

But I have to say that if I worked as hard as some of these people do without taking a break, then something has to give. And that “give” would likely come in the form of harming my health; neglecting my wife and children; or simply failing to deliver my best work because I’m tired all of the time.

…To Pay The Bills I Have To Pay…

Last month, my family and I packed our stuff up and headed from our home in North Carolina to see family in New Jersey where we hail from. We left on a Thursday and returned on a Tuesday, a short trip but long enough for us to see just about everyone, including some relatives we hadn’t seen since our last trip back in 2006. Yes, I brought my laptop along and I had my cell phone on, but we still managed to have a good time as I limited my “work” to checking my email once in the morning and again in the evening.

Thankfully, there were no fires to put out and, even though I didn’t tell most of my current clients that I was going away, the one query I had was able to put off until the day after we returned. There is no way that I would have canceled the trip – I needed a break personally and our family needed to get away together. I returned refreshed and ready to tackle the world and as for my immediate family they were thrilled to reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins they hadn’t seen in some time.

…Ain’t It Sad!

I’m of the mind that some work that can’t wait is not worth doing in the first place. I suppose that this is easy for me to say when my workload is heavy, as it has been throughout the year, but there comes a point when a few days of uninterrupted break is not only beneficial but necessary if you are to recharge your batteries and connect with family and friends without being permanently tethered to your work.

So, how about you? Have you been able to take a break yet this summer? If so, did you take a “working break” or did you manage to disconnect from your computer and connect with those whom you love?

Photo Credit: Jeff Prieb

Song Credit: Abba — Money! Money! Money!