The workaholic artisian

So I find myself having a hard time taking time off. After more than a week of long days filled with mentally taxing things to take care of, I was facing another 7 days before I could take a day to rest...unless I took today.

It was something I really wrestled with before being talked into finally just chilling for a day. It is easy for the self-employed to become a workaholic. Maybe it is the other way around and more workaholics are likely to become self-employed.

So I took a work addiction risk test and landed directly in the highly workaholic category. Not only did I answer almost all questions as often or always true, I have no concept as to why anyone would answer anything else!

I can't be the only one who over commits themselves, or feels guilty when not working. Yes I get angry when people do not meet my standards of perfection, especially when it comes to the business. And of course I put myself under pressure from self-imposed deadlines, but without that I would never get anything done, it isn't like I have a boss to tell me what to do.

But I do recognize that it is now the time of year that I need to schedule some time off. With my dearest traveling for work during the week, I tend to work hard thinking that will free me up on the weekends to spend time with him. But now craft shows have stared, so then I have to work the weekends too. This easily becomes an endless cycle where I work for weeks on end until I ultimately burn out and become a raging lunatic to everyone around me.

So a goal for this year is to try and break this cycle. There will be times of the year it is inevitable, due to long shows, and muti-weekend shows, but I started by taking today off. Well, except for writing this blog. Baby steps.