Reply to: Bored? Burnt out?

[Old Greg]

fill you boots with shares?

good luck!

Thanks. If things work out, we may look at permie with share options. As it is, I've agreed an end of contract payment (in addition to daily rate) if certain goals are achieved.

1st day today. A lot of fun to be away from the hum drum and in a company of two people + me working for 7 or 8 figure deals.

[ELBBUBKUNPS]

Just be glad your not permy.

[vetran]

It's going to be a lot of fun I hope. My mate has been working on this for 12 years and has got some investment money in and a good sniff of a huge contract. I'll be 3k per month down financially but I don't really care.

fill you boots with shares?

good luck!

[Old Greg]

That sounds bloody wonderful to me actually.

It's going to be a lot of fun I hope. My mate has been working on this for 12 years and has got some investment money in and a good sniff of a huge contract. I'll be 3k per month down financially but I don't really care.

[I just need to test it]

I've had enough of doing the same thing for 15 years as permie then contractor. The rate is good and I work at home a lot, but I'm bored and can't do it forever.

So today, I'm starting a 3 day per week contract with a mate's Plan B startup - the rate is awful but it's exciting to be doing something different.

The other two days per week, I'm working on a project for an existing client in the same old same old industry, so I'm not burning any boats, and am maintaining a decent income.

That sounds bloody wonderful to me actually.

[Old Greg]

I've had enough of doing the same thing for 15 years as permie then contractor. The rate is good and I work at home a lot, but I'm bored and can't do it forever.

So today, I'm starting a 3 day per week contract with a mate's Plan B startup - the rate is awful but it's exciting to be doing something different.

The other two days per week, I'm working on a project for an existing client in the same old same old industry, so I'm not burning any boats, and am maintaining a decent income.

[I just need to test it]

I've recently started working on the same gig as a guy I've worked alongside a number of times over the past 15 years. He's financially prudent; the classic first out of the taxi, last to the bar kind of guy who I once saw have a meltdown in the office over a 90p rail fare (he only travelled one stop so generally managed to get away without paying).

"Why are you still working?" I asked him, as there's no doubt he could pack it in and live comfortably.

"What else would I do?" he asked.

Christ, eh?

[woohoo]

Feeling exactly the same way. Still justifying my day rate and working hard but not feeling the enthusiasm. I think a month or two off would do me the world of good, not sure my client would be too happy though.

[EternalOptimist]

If I knew when i was going to pop my clogs, it would be dead easy to plan, and get it bang on.
In lieu of that, I get the balance wrong and work too much, play too little.

[Old Greg]

I'm not a kiddie-fiddler! How dare thee!

You are Gary Glister and I claim my five dong.

[SussexSeagull]

Problem is we tend to be the sort of people who struggle to turn down work and despite the 'keep calm and invoice' mantra tend to get wrapped up in what we do.

I had a month off (that turned into two months) off last year after working solidly for 18 months and it did me the power of good.

[greenlake]

Too many people in my view take this too far. Before they know it, life has passed them by, the rainy day has never come and they have spent 30 years saving for a future they are too old, burnt out and stressed to enjoy. Life is for living - no point in having a miserable existence in contract after contract you hate in the hope that one day you'll have saved up an amount that will buy you happiness.

It's all about living below your means.

[CheeseSlice]

No it's not the post-holiday blues, I've felt like this for a while now.

Despite everything on paper looking very nice (big rate, long contract duration, regular working from home, nice people, laid back office, no stress), I am just completely and utterly fed up with contracting. Yes I know I'm in a privileged position and most people would love to have the opportunities that I have but I can't help it. I'm actually beginning to resent what I do for a living.

Sounds like you need to shorten your contract periods and get a more frequent change of scene.
It used to be 12 months, but now I can only go about 6 months before I start to get itchy feet at clientco. After that I just want to just deliver my stuff and go somewhere else. Its something about the completion and closure of finishing the contract that I need.

Also I'd highly recommend trying to take a couple of months off each year, or take good long holidays between contracts. Reap some of the benefits you can only really enjoy as a contractor.

[Gaz_M]

Too many people in my view take this too far. Before they know it, life has passed them by, the rainy day has never come and they have spent 30 years saving for a future they are too old, burnt out and stressed to enjoy. Life is for living - no point in having a miserable existence in contract after contract you hate in the hope that one day you'll have saved up an amount that will buy you happiness.

This simply has to be the correct answer. Only this past year I've known two contractors drop off the perch whilst still working into their early 60's. They also said "just one more gig and I'll have a comfortable retirement".

[oracleslave]

If not, suck it up and continue to bank as much coin as you can, while you still can.

Too many people in my view take this too far. Before they know it, life has passed them by, the rainy day has never come and they have spent 30 years saving for a future they are too old, burnt out and stressed to enjoy. Life is for living - no point in having a miserable existence in contract after contract you hate in the hope that one day you'll have saved up an amount that will buy you happiness.