Cutting back for the sake of sanity
This week, I made a big decision that will impact my future, my finances and likely my overall sanity.
After over two years of working weekends and the occasional weeknight at the local cab company, I asked my boss yesterday if I could cut back to just working every other weekend.
“I’m not surprised,” he emailed me. “I was wondering when you were going to pick your personal life over greed.”
I very professionally and very maturely wrote back: “Pfffffft!”
Despite Todd’s jests, I think we both knew that after two years of non-stop work, it’s a miracle that I still have hair and that it hasn’t turned white yet. I don’t want to sound too self serving, but damn – with the exceptions of holidays and getting out of town for the occasional weekend, I have worked entire weeks without a break. And I’m beginning to feel it. I mean – I get tired and I daydream about what weekends off would be like, but I have very quietly reached the end of my rope when it comes to not having downtime. Given how crazy my life is with my full-time job and given some of the goals I have set for myself in 2010, I need more time.
There are things I know that I’m going to miss. There’s this one lady named Julieta who calls in every Saturday morning and gets a cab to work. Every time I pick up the phone, she sounds so happy to see me – “Meee-chell! How are you doing today?” For every little old lady who calls in on Sunday morning, I know what church they go to. Some of the guys I work with are like brothers to me … In the 16 hours that I work in a weekend, I have read novels, I have addressed wedding invitations, I have clipped coupons, I have taught myself how to play free cell (very valuable, you know …).
Here is what I’m looking forward to: Finally having time to launch a freelance writing project that I’m doing with my old friend Chuck. I look forward to learning how to make my own bread. I’m going to make my husband pancakes in the morning and we’re going to attend church on the Sundays where I’m not working. I’m going to take time to do nothing. I’m going to take time to do several things that have been pushed back on my mind’s back burner for two years.
It’s a good thing.
Posted: January 30th, 2010 under Everyday Living, Relationships, Where My Money Goes, work.
Comments: 5
Comments
Comment from creditcardfree
Time: January 30, 2010, 6:40 am
I’m very excited for you. My husband works a lot, too. Weekends are precious and helps give you the much needed time to relax and renew. Enjoy!
Comment from Heather
Time: January 31, 2010, 9:46 am
Good for you!
Comment from Mary
Time: February 1, 2010, 2:19 pm
I owned a small business alone for the last 5 years. I closed it at the end of 2009 because it just never really took off like I wanted, and I was finally able to face the fact that even 100 hours a week couldn’t make the place profitable. Since closing it, my health has improved, my eye stopped it’s annoying twitch, I sleep better…of course, now I have the stress of having to find a “real” job in my original field, engineering, in Michigan where the unemployment rate is the highest in the country, but hey – at least I finally had a weekend off to just sit and relax, for the first time in 5 years.
I feel your pain…
Comment from Cassandra
Time: February 1, 2010, 3:41 pm
Woohoo!! I’m excited to hear that you’ll be taking some “me time” now. That’s a great benefit to getting rid of all that debt.
Comment from Deb
Time: February 7, 2010, 12:06 pm
Be careful with the pancakes…don’t make them TOOO often or they’ll be taken for granted. 
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