I’ve just returned from a week long “vacation”; is it a vacation if you don’t have formal employment?
The feeling when I returned was different.
In the past, the approach to the Monday morning after a vacation would be a mixed bag of emotions; dread at having to get up early, excitement to see the team overlaid with fear and worry of what might have happened in my absence, anticipation of new projects and opportunities.
This Monday there was none of that. The day approached, began and progressed just like every day over the last several months. No worry, no surprises…only my own schedule to follow and self-imposed deadlines.
Do we need external responsibilities to truly understand the impacts and benefits of not having any responsibilities for a period of time? To ensure we appreciate the times when all we are obligated to do is relax and enjoy the moment?
Maybe….maybe not. Everyone’s different. We have to find out what works for each of us.
I do plan on having those external responsibilities again one day, and in the meantime I’ll keep making lists of things I want to accomplish now, create my own deadlines and celebrate successes. I’ll take vacations and enjoy them.
Lastly, in the interests of being honest… being my own “boss” does mean that sometimes the list of projects/tasks is really long and sometimes the only things on it are ‘walk the dog and read a book’…
…and that’s okay for now.
mydaisydaze 
I’m totally with you on the “be your own boss/work from home” thing. Right now, I probably have 10-12 solid hours of work with deadlines set for Friday. It’ll pay me enough for the week because I have a decent hourly rate for my freelance work. Then I have another 20 hours due by the following Friday.
But it’s 95 here today and I have a pool. I also have a son who is only three days away from going back to school. My work can be put off until later in the day, and that’s the real gem of working from home and being my own boss.
Yeah, there are some weeks slower than others and some weeks where I totally overbook myself, but the freedom to come and go as I please, take a nap or a walk when I want, schedule doctor appointments whenever, etc. is worth far more than anything I’d get being in an office.
Kudos to you for making it work!
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Absolutely…now I just have to figure out how to make proper money from what Im doing lol.
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It’s a fear and also a wonderment to set your own pace and cadence of life. I often wonder after 45 years in the workforce what that could feel like. Maternity leave isn’t the same, you have a distraction for a year. Control is leveraged by a small human. To feel that you set the pace could be empowering.
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Vanessa that is really creepy, ‘control is leveraged by a small human” lol makes me think of that scene in Barbarella when the dolls come to life and attack Jane Fonda.
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What a serene picture. I’m glad you enjoy your time off. Making list of things to do is great. They can be fun things to do, too!
Relax, re-energize, because your lists will be overflowing soon enough.
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