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KristineS
08-08-2008, 08:46 AM
I have a full time job which keeps me busy from 8 a.m. to about 6:30 p.m. or so. I also have side projects that I work on.

While I'd love to say the weekends are for relaxation and fun I usually end up doing some work over the weekend too, since I have the time. I'm wondering if I'm just a workaholic or if the rest of you work on the weekends too.

Patrysha
08-08-2008, 09:46 AM
I'm taking more time off now that I am home full time. When I was working a full time job and getting geared up for business, I worked weekends and nights and any spare second that I could manage.

That's not to say I take weekends off though. Sometimes I work for ten or twelve days straight through and then take three or four days away from actual work. (Though even on those days I check my email and forums and often spend more time than I should on the computer)

Marcomguy
08-08-2008, 09:58 AM
Yes, unfortunately, I do end up working some weekends. There are some weeks where the working day gets taken up with sales, client service, meetings etc. So that leaves evenings and weekends to do what clients hire me in the first place for -- i.e., write.

Leatherneck
08-08-2008, 12:17 PM
I have worked many weekends over the years. In my buusiness it is seasonal and we lose time from the rain, so as they say I have too make Hay while the sun is shinning. I try not too work Sundays any more. I might do an estimate or two on a Sunday. As a rule I do my estimates on Saturday when both people are home to make the decision. It is eaier too close the deal when both parties are there too talk about it and voice there questioins too me. Early evenings are also a good time.

cbscreative
08-08-2008, 12:51 PM
I mostly try to take Sundays off, and usually do, often not even checking email, but the other 6 days are generally work days. Five day work weeks are only a concept of the 20th century anyway. When you love what you do, it seems less like work, and contrary to common opinion, work is a good thing. Most humans can only be idle just so long before they go nuts. In fact, some of the crazy ideas in our society are the result of bored people not keeping busy enough.

GreaterVisibility
08-08-2008, 02:32 PM
I mostly try to take Sundays off, and usually do, often not even checking email, but the other 6 days are generally work days. Five day work weeks are only a concept of the 20th century anyway. When you love what you do, it seems less like work, and contrary to common opinion, work is a good thing. Most humans can only be idle just so long before they go nuts. In fact, some of the crazy ideas in our society are the result of bored people not keeping busy enough.

I love that part of your post. Kids get in trouble all the time during the summer because they're bored and nobody pays them attention. Adults can be the same way. Just look at all the stupid things people do or attempt to do on youtube or television video shows. Way too much idle time on their hands.

Myself, I worked pretty much 7 days a week until I realized that I was neglecting much more important things and getting lost in my work. So, I got rid of side projects and now only focus on my cleaning business pretty much full time, with a little auto detailing on the side. If it rains or I don't have a detail to do on a non-cleaning day for me, I'll work on some sort of small side project that doesn't take so much time. There are more important things than work. We only work on Saturdays occasionally, usually doing a detail in the morning for extra money because we can, not because we have to.

Coach Morse
08-08-2008, 03:35 PM
When I started my business, I worked 7 days a week for about 18 months. I might have had a day or two off, but not many. For the next 3 years I worked 6 days a week. There might have been an occasional two-day weekend here and there. For the next 4 years I worked 5 days a week mostly, but would drop everything if needed to put out fires (this was our expansion period).

(Forgive me if my years / don't add up - I'm ball-parking this.)

For the past 5 or 6 years I've been working about 35 hours per week, and never on weekends. I have more time to spend with my family, time for volunteering in my community, and finally within the last two years, time for myself.

In all this time I haven't found any short-cuts (not for lack of trying) to get where I am today. You just have to be willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes - and your consistent effort over time will pay off. :)

pete
08-08-2008, 04:38 PM
I work 24/7/365. At least that's what my hosting clients believe.

I do "work" 7 days a week. I work from home, have Thursdays as my "out and about" day to avoid most rushes, and am never far from the keyboard.

But, I'll work maybe half of the time between 8 AM and 10 PM. Probably 45 minutes out of an hour, half hour for breakfast around 10, half hour for lunch around 2 and other breaks for dog walking, duck feeding and honey-dos.

I've also always got a book going. Might carry it to the back porch for an hour in the middle of the day, might just get with it in a recliner at night.

Always break for NASCAR, football, etc. May check email during commercials, and will miss whatever if a problem develops, but over all I'd guess 6 to 8 working hours a day. That's including this sort of thing, as a good portion of my income comes from forums.

Not this one, or the old one. A couple from here host with me, but not a lot. I don't come here to sell, where on some forums I pay to be able to actively sell within threads and signatures. On all of them I participate because I feel I have something to add, but if I can pickup a few bucks, why not?

I joke about being found dead, face down on the keyboard, but it's nowhere near as intense as that. I've got clients all over the globe, feel that many are friends and am simply amazed at the people I know virtually everywhere.
.

KarenB
08-08-2008, 05:11 PM
What a great question, Kristine.

Because I'm just starting out (only two years in the business), I tend to use weekends to catch up on non-revenue generating tasks like bookkeeping and invoicing. I also use this as a time to step back and examine my overall business strategy and organization.

My boyfriend, who has owned his own business for over 35 years, is always encouraging me to take little breaks, but totally understands why I can't (or maybe don't want to) right now. He was also in the same place a long time ago and remembers countless years of putting his heart, mind and soul into his business pretty much 24/7.

Karen

orion_joel
08-09-2008, 01:53 AM
I am in a similar boat to your Kristine, i work a full time+ job, only i work from 6pm till 2 or 3 am, this means that once i get home and to bed, i am not awake until midday, 1pm, so i do have a little time to work on my business on weekdays, which is actually when i do the majority of my writing in that time.

The problem i find is that i write my best stuff when i have an idea and start wrting the article right away, while it is fresh in my mind. This can cause a problem on weeknights when i am working and do not have the ability to just duck off for 15 minutes and get an article started. However it means that i tend to just go and sit at the computer and write on weekends more often then not as well.

I tend to spend less then 10hours a week working on my business which is spread across all days of the week whenever i get to it.

Aaron Hats
08-09-2008, 12:23 PM
My weekend is actually Wednesdays and Sundays. I try to have minimal work interaction on those days. I've done the seven days per week for a long time then six days a week. I came very close to burning out if not actually burning out. My mother always says I'm a success because I own my own business. I gently remind her that I'll be a success when I achieve balance of work, family and fun...I'm slowly getting there.

Aaron

billbenson
08-09-2008, 12:42 PM
I haven't turned the hump yet, where I can afford to farm out some of my business. I effectively have two jobs although I'm self employed. Salesman by day and webmaster by night. During the week I start work at about 11am. By then I have some emails and phone calls to return. Its frequently midnight when I get all my quotes out and orders processed, monday through friday. It's not unusual to work until 3am. I'm trapped in front of a computer and phone during domestic working hours in all three time zones. I could get a phone call or email that makes me $20 or $7000 (one I had last week). I don't leave for lunch and I can't just transfer my phone to a cell because I need the appearance of being a big company as well as all phone calls require that I look something up on a computer.

I'm working up to 15 hour days during the week and always at least 12 hour days.

Weekends and holidays are the only time I can try to get ahead on clerical stuff and web design. I put in 12 hour days most weekends although I can take a weekend day off if I want. I don't see this ending for 2 years or more. I racked up a lot of debt building up my business, but I am knocking that down and will eventually turn the hump.

Steve B
08-09-2008, 08:06 PM
My answer is exactly the same as Leatherneck.

Paul Elliott
08-09-2008, 08:10 PM
When I practiced medicine, I frequently worked 80 to 100-hour weeks. That is NO way to live life! Nor is it healthy in any respect, even if one takes nice vacations.

Now, I try to get 8+ hours/24, though it may be 6 hours with a 2-hour nap in the afternoon. Most of the time I can organize my own schedule.

Paul

Blessed
08-11-2008, 08:29 AM
You mean some people don't work on the weekend? :)

Occasionally I take a day off but usually I'm working on the weekends too, even if it is just an hour or two

Dan Furman
08-11-2008, 01:02 PM
I do "work" 7 days a week. I work from home, have Thursdays as my "out and about" day to avoid most rushes, and am never far from the keyboard.

But, I'll work maybe half of the time between 8 AM and 10 PM. Probably 45 minutes out of an hour, half hour for breakfast around 10, half hour for lunch around 2 and other breaks for dog walking, duck feeding and honey-dos.

I've also always got a book going. Might carry it to the back porch for an hour in the middle of the day, might just get with it in a recliner at night.

Always break for NASCAR, football, etc. May check email during commercials, and will miss whatever if a problem develops, but over all I'd guess 6 to 8 working hours a day.

This essentially describes my week - M-F, I'm technically "here" for 14-16 hrs, but I actually "work" half that - I take breaks to go to the store, run errands, cut the lawn, walk the dog, etc... I typically ratch it way down on weekends if I can (and I do - I'd say I manage to keep 9 out of 10 weekends generally free from work.)

Spider
08-12-2008, 10:04 PM
I like the retirement approach. I work as much as I want and don't work when I feel like not working. There are always things to be done in the garden or around the house that give me a break from the computer. I have as many clients as I need and other projects to add variety. And dogs to play with..ahem! to exercise. This goes on regardless of what day of the week it is.

And I'm always tired and fulfilled at the end of every day, just wanting to get another 'bit of something' finished before taking off to bed.

Life is good.