I went through weeks at a time when I worked from the time I got home until the time I went to bed. Dinner was chosen for its quickness of preparation and subsequent quick cleanup; minutes could not be wasted.

It was worth it though: I have never grown so much skill and amassed such a collection of projects that I’m pretty proud of, as I have in the past year. This constant “home work” has been great for my career too:  bview is now a site I’m proud to say I’ve worked on (even though it’s not perfect and still needs work… it’s a big site, after all!), and I can easily wack out new designs and code them up quickly. A year ago, I was okay.  With all this extra side projects, I’m pretty good now.

But I’m tired of working every evening.

I know I should be working on graffed and theboxcat and finishing my redesign of safetygoat, making a new mould of safetygoat, and getting started on the multitudes of other projects I keep thinking about.

But, I finally admitted to myself that I need a break. I want my evenings back.

I want to read my Terry Pratchett books over and over. I want to watch countless episodes of CSI and My Name is Earl. I don’t want to spend time writing code, designing websites, networking, drawing, doing ANYTHING productive or work on ANYTHING that will make me better.

I feel guilty feeling this way.

But you know what, just like a holiday away from your job, I think it’s important to step away from your passions and the things you really enjoy, so that you can come back to them fresh. That way, you don’t come to resent your projects, and you do them properly.

Until next week, safetygoat’ll be off after-work holidays and back at it.  See you then!

safetygoat is on holidays!