Comments on: The Vacation Dilemma

By: Web Worker Daily » Archive Summer’s Here; Enjoy It «

Web Worker Daily » Archive Summer’s Here; Enjoy It « — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:00:05 +0000

[...] the vacation dilemma and figure out whether you want to buck the web working trend and take [...]

By: Jim Haapapuro

Jim Haapapuro — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:46:53 +0000

What do most people complain or argue about when planning on taking a vacation? thank you

By: Web Worker Daily » Archive Open Thread: What Are Your Holiday Break Plans? «

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:01:49 +0000

[...] The Vacation Dilemma [...]

By: Neal Watzman

Neal Watzman — Wed, 09 May 2007 11:19:37 +0000

Vacations are important to help people refresh and energize. Those of us working for ourselves often have the luxury of coming in late or taking Fridays off (which I often do). I’m finding as I do this a lot more that this is not enough to refresh me. I need more consecutive time off.

I’ve had my consulting practice for 20 years on June 1, and take a week or two every year. I’ve gotten used to “not getting a paycheck” as that’s built into my model. And discovered my clients don’t mind at all, I let myself be reachable by email and have responded. But it’s rare.

Last year was the best year I have had in many many years. It was a good thing, but I was beat by the end of the year, and still am. I’d love a month off, but maybe that’s a stretch.

By: Dan Moore

Dan Moore — Mon, 07 May 2007 22:52:10 +0000

Having your laptop with you in Paris is not a vacation.

I sometimes think about work on vacations, but to me the definition of a vacation is that you don’t *have* to think about work.

Hey, if you want to work all the time, or feel you need to, go ahead. I understand the desire and the fear.

I try to take at least 4 weeks off a year. I’ve been working for myself for almost 4 years. In the beginning, my ‘vacations’ seemed to take place at the end of contracts. I’d have some time until the next one started, and take some time off (not necessarily leaving my hometown, but not working). Those weren’t exactly worry free vacations, and I did do some marketing, mostly emails to folks asking if they needed my help.

Now that I have some regular clients and am busier, I need to schedule the vacations in advance. I just pick the times plenty early, let all my clients know (repeatedly) and stick to the dates. It helps that I like to vacation in places that don’t have any Internet access (southern Utah, for example).

Brad: I understand your situation, but is a week or two out of circulation really going to affect future jobs? If so, I’d suggest taking more Fridays off. 2 Fridays off a month is 5 weeks of vacation a year.

By: Mathias

Mathias — Sat, 05 May 2007 13:07:32 +0000

I’m with Sean, I need time off. I usually do that during longer trips. As a freelancer this usually means not getting a paycheck, but I can live with that. From my working past I learned that it is more important to take care of yourself than working your ass off. I ruined my back already, doing that. And it was not worth it.

A longer vacation away from the computer makes me want to do my job again. I come back with fresh ideas, a fresh mind, and with newly gained strength.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 04 May 2007 01:37:38 +0000

Sorry! I did not mean to plunge everyone into the depths of despair with my first comment. That was definitely during the recession in 2000 and those WERE startups that did the laying off. I guess what I’m saying is, if you are afraid to take time off from your company because you think you will be seen as non-essential, then you are definitely NOT at the right place. I know many people that are afraid of taking vacation or think they are heroic (?!) because they are at work all the time. That sort of mentality is encouraged in the work place. Another issue is that we don’t necessarily get two weeks a year, as it’s whittled down from various three day weekends, etc. I’ve taken a nice long vacation in between jobs. As long as the economy is good, you can just jump back into things when you are done relaxing. :-)

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:51:30 +0000

I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum. I NEED time off completely away from work. I am lucky enough to get 4 weeks paid each year in the 4 years with my current employer, I have taken all my time every year.

Aside from the fact that travel makes me feel like a more well rounded individual, I find that it really does recharge my batteries. I come back excited to dive back into the field, sometimes with new ideas or a new perspective. Just to make you jealuous in the last couple years I’ve gone to Mexico, Costa Rica (twice), England, Ireland, California, backpacking in Southern Utah (twice) and New York (yes those are all exotic destinations if you live in Central Ohio ) :)

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:51:10 +0000

Like many others, I find it hard to take time of since that means NO PAYCHECK. Plus, there’s no one to pick up the slack with my clients — I’d feel bad abandoning them for anything more that a week. But I’m definitely of the opinion that a week is not enough — it takes me that long to decompress.

It’s really quite sad!

By: Scott G

Scott G — Thu, 03 May 2007 01:58:01 +0000

I used to live in Canada and was taught to ‘feel bad’ about wanting time off, and not to take even more the two weeks consecutively as that was just indulgent. North America is really wrong about all of that attitude.

I now live in Australia where I get 4 weeks minimum and I am a lot happier with life and with putting more effort into my work on a daily basis. Work is not all there is out there, but when you are there you should feel like your life is balanced enough that you can get into it and enjoy or be good at what you do.

Not just burned out and bitter.