Contractor burnout and taking time off

[vetran]

No lube needed with me, the ladies are positively dri....g, well, you get the idea

Your girlfriends are drooling - it happens with some illnesses apparently.

[d000hg]

"Dreading?"

[Paralytic]

No lube needed with me, the ladies are positively dri....g, well, you get the idea

Drinking? 10-pinters, are they?

[Whorty]

Drinking? 10-pinters, are they?

I only start to spike the drinks if it looks like they're still in control after the 6th pint of Stella

[CoolCat]

I've been contracting for 11 years now and have a growing Plan B which is providing a bit of extra income. For the first time in 11 years I'm seriously contemplating turning down an extension to take a month or two off and relax as well as give some extra time to Plan B. I've managed to stay outside IR35 so far this year and there are some gigs coming out in my area that are still outside, but I do worry slightly that the next gig will be tougher to land outside.

Just wondering if anybody else has come to this cross roads and taken a chunk of time out to reassess things, free up some thinking space and how it worked out? I think I've taken on a bit too much over the last 4 years and perhaps it's starting to take it's toll on me a bit.

just take a full year out and go do a post grad at uni, will look better on your CV than lazing about... any less than that I wouldnt worry I have taken big gaps lots of times, its part of the point of being freelance.

[d000hg]

just take a full year out and go do a post grad at uni, will look better on your CV than lazing about... any less than that I wouldnt worry I have taken big gaps lots of times, its part of the point of being freelance.

I think his CV is the last thing that needs worrying about with over a decade experience (plus whatever before contracting), personally. Doing education for fun is a fine idea but only if it IS fun, otherwise it might make things worse.

Since the OP mentioned a plan B which actually makes some money, I'd personally be tempted to do that for 6-12 months but you risk burnout on that too, since there's nobody to stop you working 15 hour days!

[Whorty]

just take a full year out and go do a post grad at uni, will look better on your CV than lazing about... any less than that I wouldnt worry I have taken big gaps lots of times, its part of the point of being freelance.

This ..... no one has ever questioned gaps in my cv as a freelancer

[CoolCat]

This ..... no one has ever questioned gaps in my cv as a freelancer

Oh some agents veto you, but they are the crap ones anyways...

Same with hiring managers, any of them small minded enough to not understand how the real world works outside their bubble are best not to be working with anyways

[Whorty]

Oh some agents veto you, but they are the crap ones anyways...

Same with hiring managers, any of them small minded enough to not understand how the real world works outside their bubble are best not to be working with anyways

Like I say, never seen it personally.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

just take a full year out and go do a post grad at uni, will look better on your CV than lazing about... any less than that I wouldnt worry I have taken big gaps lots of times, its part of the point of being freelance.

Last thing I wanna do alongside plan B is a post grad uni degree! Also I'm not worried about taking 2-3 months out. Doesn't do too much harm and you can always paint a prettier picture e.g finished November could mean any day in that month...

I'm going to offer clientco 3 days a week due to burnout and if they don't accept then I'm going to walk and enjoy the rest of the year off with some trips to sunnier climates.