It’s just about that time of year again, when the vast majority of 9-5ers in North America get the day off (with pay) to relax, spend time with their families, enjoy some fun activities (like barbecuing or fireworks) and otherwise do anything but work. Every country has holidays just like those we in North America will be enjoying this week. These days are something every average working Joe looks forward to, as an extra day to recharge and relax, all on the company dime.
Well if they can do it, why can’t you?
The answer to that is simple. You can, and you should.
Just because you’ve set yourself on the path to Personal Independent Earnings, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy some of the same perks as the 9-5ers. Take a cue from your old life as part of the normal workforce. Take the day off. Take the whole weekend off. Spend time with your family. Relax on the couch catching up on your favourite TV show. Go see a movie. Read a book. Do anything but work. Don’t even think about work. Taking a whole day (or three) to slack off may seem counterproductive to maximizing your earning potential but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
I want you to look back on your time as a runner in the rat race that is the daily grind of the 9-5er. Look back on all the paid holidays you took before you decided you’d had enough of selling your time to somebody else and decided to sell it to yourself instead.
How did they make you feel?
The answer for most of you should be this: pretty damn good. Everyone looks forward to the weekend. To that all too brief escape from the monotony of the Monday to Friday grind. Getting an extra day off on top of that? It’s like an early Christmas present. It feels fantastic. An extra day to do whatever you want, however you want. I don’t think there’s a single person out there who will argue with me on this.
Now that you’re self-employed and finding your path in the world, you can, and probably will, often find yourself under just as much stress as you were when you were employed elsewhere. Potentially even more, since your financial success is all directly tied to your actions, and not those of the company you’re working for. Gone are the days where you could coast through a work day and still get paid. Now you have to work, and work hard.
That just makes these little breaks all the more important. A day to relax, spend time with your significant other, children, or television, and take in the ambiance of whatever that particular holiday has to offer. You’ll come back to work feeling recharged, refreshed, and better prepared to tackle all the challenges having your financial future in your own hands will throw at you.
If the 9-5ers get these little breaks to recharge, then you should too.
