Yesterday I had the night off, OK OK I know it wasn’t a complete whole day but taking a night off from the site was a big deal and it was actually my first night off in 6 months, seriously I have been working every single day AND night solid for 6 months.
So what did I do on my night off and did it help?
- I Bake
Yep that’s right I make cakes, and boy did it feel good to actually think about nothing else than getting the mixture right, shifting the flour, making the Royal icing, all of that felt absolutely fantastic, but for what reason did it feel so good? Is it because I’m a cake monster and I’m a 500lb feeding giant trying to burst out? Or does it represent something deeper?
- I Laughed
I watched the new series of Modern Family, which I absolutely love and I’m completely obsessed with, especially Gloria and Phil, oh and Cameron… and Jay, OK all of them, but it was fantastic just to sit and watch TV, laugh out loud, and relax, but why did it feel so good to laugh?
- I’m Not
Don’t worry I’m not going all lifestyle design on you, nor am I starting to encourage the 4hr work week, without putting the work in first, BUT… my first night off in 6 months gave me some huge perspective, but did I need it?
Well first of all, and I can already sense someone thinking this, it wasn’t burn out, it was actually an after thought to see if taking a night off from promoting, networking, content etc etc would actually be good in the long run. The answer to this experiment was absolutely, but there is a caveat to this;
- Don’t Make It A Habit
You can’t make taking every night off a habit, again let me explain; If you only work 2hrs a day then cool keep at it, but if you start to reduce that over time to 1 then 30mins, then an hour every 2 days you will lose momentum.
Equally though you need to take time off and more frequently than my one night every 6 months, taking time off will actually give you perspective and more ideas, which is my next point;
Over the coming week;
- An exclusive interview that will absolutely rock, I will interview a huge character on the scene right now and publish the video and transcript.
- I will reveal my new mentor.
- More exclusive content for the mailing list.
So when was the last time you took a night off, equally have you been spending too many nights off? Don’t forget the amount of work that’s needed to get your site where it needs to be, this was my first night off in 6 months.
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Haha, when did I last take the night off? Well, I take every weekend off AND typically will take a couple of week day nights off. But actually, that was in response to burn-out in the past. I found that I thrive off “reading time”, i.e. when I just sit and read books, far away from the web and all its goodness. Without that, I dry up. That is what refreshes me. But it is almost certainly a personal thing and entirely relative. I’m glad you took that night out, though disappointed you didn’t send me some cake…
Looking forward to this interview. It will be eagarly awaited.
.-= Mo “Mad Dog” Stoneskin´s last blog ..The Fury of the Porcelain Gods =-.
Yeah the interview is going to be a corker for sure
I did this for nearly 2 years (probably not as insane as you have been, but close) and the one thing I learned was that I kept using the same excuses over and over again.
“Pretty soon I’ll find a way to slow down,” etc.
Eventually, I realized I was not working too much, but was losing my effectiveness because of the manner in which I was working.
So finally, I hired a VA and started outsourcing a few things. Yesterday, I made even more changes. Damn it feels good.
The point? Don’t forget why we do this, which is to do great work and to find more time to do what you did…take a night off.
.-= Nathan Hangen – Digital Emperor´s last blog ..Kick-Ass Your Destiny =-.
Brother I’ve been meaning to ask what do you use a VA for what do they do for you? What do you (if you don’t mind me asking) pay for yours a month? How does it all work?
I use Lisa Morosky vablogger.com and pay her a monthly retainer. She’s not cheap, but she’s the only person I trust to handle the really personal stuff. She does EVERYTHING I hate doing…accounting, email, blog posts, guest posts, managing freelancers, and much more.
.-= Nathan Hangen – Digital Emperor´s last blog ..Kick-Ass Your Destiny =-.
I usually take a night off every other night. But then again, I usually start working on my site in the morning, or doing something for the site(s) and work until I’m done, which can be 4 hours – 10 hours later. Then I have my evenings free to watch a movie (or like Thursdays – Survivor Night!
and hop back on the computer for some comments, networking or tweeting.
I’m happy you took a night off. Maybe those bags will disappear.
Brother you’re obsessed with my eyes lol! They won’t disappear been there since a kid
Whelp with a hacked blog, I have a lot of days off of late.
Oh you’re joking, is it all sorted now?
James, she really did get hacked and is one of the bloggers I am missing right now. Just in case she doesn’t see your question . . . she has her backed up files but uninstalled/reinstalled WP, which creates a new blog entirely, so she’s stuck on how to proceed. I’m sure she’d appreciate any suggestions you or your readers have.
.-= Jean Sarauer´s last blog ..How to Graduate to Your Next Level of Blogging =-.
OK Thanks I’ll email her tonight, doesn’t sound good
A Cake baker ??? Man. I’ll bet your wife loves you to death.
It cracks me up. You never really know somebody and it’s always nice getting an inside peak at their lives and what they enjoy. It is truly what ultimate relationships are about.
I mean, I picture you sharpening knives in your spare time, or hanging suspended by your toes meditating. Cracks me up!
I am glad though that you took a night off. You need it. Everyone does. I drive myself hard, but also work to have weekends with my family.
Take care,
Brandon
.-= BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..Warrior’s Stumble – Breaking Through Barriers =-.
Ha ha kind of Mickey Rourke style!
a day off for me is switching off the Internet, social media, blogging and all that jazz!
.-= Jorgen @ Personal Branding´s last blog ..How to Breathe Life into Your Twitter Bio =-.
As long as you enjoy doing what you are doing it is fine to work long hours. But don’t let yourself burn out! Only one day off in 6 months is pretty hardcore. Life should be about more than just work, even if you really enjoy your work.
.-= reviewmylife´s last blog ..Protective sleeve for MacBook Pro 13 inch =-.
Hey yeah you’re right, but it’s finding the balance from not doing enough because there are millions of sites out there all screaming for the same attention. It worked for sure my first 6 months, let’s see how the next 6 months go
James,
That is a great story because all we ever hear is everything you do for your business. Now we know that you can actually laugh. That must mean a smile is there somewhere too although you never smile on the videos. What is your next milestone for a night off? Or maybe even a weekend?
.-= Ralph´s last blog ..Lee’s Summit Missouri, Best Downtown and my home town =-.
I do smile !! I smile on the videos I’m sure I do, ha.
Yeah I’m not sure I’m taking my family on holiday this year that’s for sure but don’t know how that will work with content etc just yet
I bet Mrs Richmond was delighted you had the night off!And do I sense another ‘bro-mance’ coming on?
So give us a hint as to who this new mentor is……….
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Video Friday – Get Jiggy With It =-.
It’s out today and it’s a full on bromance! lol
Maria loved the latest post!
You got to take a day off once in a while. It’s good for you. Life isn’t all about work!
.-= Mike Roosa´s last blog ..The Flip And The Flop =-.
Yeah a day off, well a night off was good, but it has to be done properly, too much and you’re not working hard enough too little and you’re working too hard. At least in the beginning of your site anyway.
Glad to hear you had a break and did something you enjoy! It’s important to “stop and smell the roses” every once in awhile, but I agree with you when you said that it shouldn’t become a regular habit. I’m not saying to work yourself to death, but time management is an important tool. Cutting out “a few minutes early” every single night can lead to doing less and less work, and that’s what you’re when you’re trying to achieve big things.
.-= Steve Scott Site´s last blog ..4 Signs of Bad Time Management =-.
I admire your work ethic it is awesome…and you will get to the top of the mountain because you aren’t going to stop until you get there. Having a wee bit of time off can only be a good thing for you.
I personally think that 90% of bloggers out there and that includes myself aren’t putting in enough time or effort into making things happen, talk is cheap, but I guess for many people talking is easier than the actually doing it…
And I done my own bit of baking the other day, when I made some Scottish Tablet, it turned out more fun and relaxing than I could have ever imagined…
Well, actually, I haven’t taken much time off (none, really) since it became evident you weren’t going away, James.
Now that we’re going mano-a-mano timewise, perhaps you could take a few more days off? Heh… not that I will of course. =) Iron sharpens iron.
Downshift. Accelerate.
.-= Dave Doolin´s last blog ..When is Spam so Bad it’s Good? (When it’s Saturday Morning Surfing, that’s when) =-.
Hey James,
Can’t believe you took a day off. Do you intend doing that often?
I’ve got no schedule with my blogging work, that’s so bad. i take several days off and at times, post even 5 articles the next day. That’s really bad, yet i don’t blame my self for that. I’ve got ways to compensate for such.
I believe taking a day or two off a week, can be very useful.
.-= innocriss´s last blog ..Learn To Be Wisely Frugal But Selectively Extravagant! =-.
That’s sounds awesome bro. First day off !! that’s great