reynoldswriting.com Blog

As another Labor Day rolls around, here I am, laboring as usual.

Of course many of us take it for granted that we have to work on Labor Day or other holidays, but for freelancers it’s an odd situation. Theoretically, we ought to be able to take any old day we want as a vacation day: “Hooray, it’s time to celebrate Tuesday again!” Non-freelancers sometimes get the idea that we independent contractors are on some kind of eternal vacation, occasionally emerging from our hammocks to deposit the enormous checks that mysteriously appear in our mailboxes from loving patrons. That would be nice, but t’ain’t so.

The “paid vacation” of the 9-to-5 world doesn’t exist in Freelance Land — we get paid only when we work. That’s a fair price to pay, I think, for not being lashed to the time clock, but it lends a weird vibe to holidays and vacations. While most businesspeople are delighted to spend a holiday at home around the grill, your freelancer may hate seeing his money-making engine grind to a halt for even a single day.

Vacations are another fine thing that everyone should enjoy, but all too often the freelancer’s idea of a “vacation” includes a laptop, a cellphone, and an ulcer. We have to find our own ways of coping with — and yes, enjoying — our time off. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up lately from various sources and my own school of hard knocks:

Learn to ride with the tide. Peter Bowerman, in his book The Well-Fed Writer, notes that freelance work ebbs and flows naturally, and the sane freelancer learns to enjoy the occasional downtime without fretting. When the upswing comes — and it always does — you’ll have plenty to do. Be happy for the break.

Perform holiday-friendly tasks. If, like me, you tend to fuss and fidget your way through the holiday, do it constructively. Can’t meet with clients or make phone calls? Then do some other kind of work — catch up on your filing, reconcile your books, finish that brochure, et cetera. I’m a writer, so guess what I plan to do with a full day of peace and quiet….

Stop and reflect. Holidays are good for that. A little time off can be a very useful window for reviewing how far your business has come and planning what direction to take it next. If your business plan needs tweaking, do it now, because when you’re sagging under a full workload again you may never find the time for that critical long-range strategizing.

However you choose to spend your holiday — have a good one!