40 days without having a day off and I think I've hit the wall

[zinfamous]

I go months on end without a day off. I do it because I work for myself and Lego and guns don't pay for themselves.

still no Mclaren pics. shame!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Any entrepreneur who needs to work a 9-5 to pay for their side gig and/or health insurance can relate.

So the lesson here is don't take on multiple 40+ hour/week commitments.

I mean there's a solid 168 hours in a week, if you sleep a luxurious 28 hours you can cram in 3 full time jobs and still have 20 hours to breathe.

And what's the point of even living if you do that? Work to live, not live to work.

 

[Ns1]

And what's the point of even living if you do that? Work to live, not live to work.

No arguments here. I would not recommend the choices that I have made in life to anyone.

 

[Chaotic42]

I’ll never understand people who willingly work crazy hours when they don’t own the company. When I was in my early 30s, I did work a ton of hours but then I woke up and realized it got me nothing.

There is so much more out there in the world to do and see. Now, I work as close to 40 hours as possible (with a rare exception for deadlines) and make sure I indulge in my hobbies and travel as much as I can.

I like to think my work has meaning, and as I've said, I really enjoy it. As I get older, I'm slowly working fewer and fewer hours. I may start working on my Master's again.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The thing too is the company will always feel they owe you nothing. Does not matter how hard or how many hours you work, when they decide they need to do some cuts because they don't like the share price, they will lay you off at the drop of a hat. Always work the bare minimum required at a company (basically do your job well but do go above that) since they really do not care about you. Of course do take OT if you need the money, but if you work in a place that does not pay OT then avoid it at all costs. A job is strictly to pay the bills, and that's it.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I like to think my work has meaning, and as I've said, I really enjoy it. As I get older, I'm slowly working fewer and fewer hours. I may start working on my Master's again.

I view my job as a means to an end. I don’t buy the “career” talk companies try to con people with every day. My philosophy is that I’m the CEO of Me, Inc. and my job is to maximize revenue (my salary) while cutting costs (actual work) as much as possible.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I love living way below my means. Not even 30 yet and are set to have our home mortgage paid off within the next year.

Doesn't come from struggle or suffering, unless you consider not upgrading to a 70" tv and a new car All the time as suffering. My 40" plasma and my 2006 acura tsx do the job just fine.

 

[FeuerFrei]

You're probably designed to rest every seventh day.

Took me 4 years to hit a wall, working third shifts when I couldn't sleep at all much in daylight. You get a bit stuck, once insomnia sets in, as you aren't in shape to job hunt. And once your serotonin levels drop you behave obsessively / compulsively, and doggedly continue doing what you've been doing. At times they'd schedule me for 10-12 days in a row, and at times also called me in to cover for someone else's missed shift.

 

[ponyo]

You're probably designed to rest every seventh day.

Took me 4 years to hit a wall, working third shifts when I couldn't sleep at all much in daylight. You get a bit stuck, once insomnia sets in, as you aren't in shape to job hunt. And once your serotonin levels drop you behave obsessively / compulsively, and doggedly continue doing what you've been doing. At times they'd schedule me for 10-12 days in a row, and at times also called me in to cover for someone else's missed shift.

I really believe people need to rest every seventh day. Especially if they work physical job. Mind and body need a day to heal. I feel for OP since I've been in his shoes as business owner. I did 5 am to 6 pm today and am now resting at a hotel for the evening. But I get the weekends off and that makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Ns1]

Welp, I'm finally winding down at it's 11p - started around 7a this morning. Firing up the machine again tomorrow around 630. At least on Memorial day there's a good chance I'll only work 1 job and get to sleep in until the luxurious time of 830.

To answer your original question OP,

how did you find the strength to get up in the morning and do it everyday?

I'm going to get loaded as fuck right now, sit in my massage chair for an hour, and pray that one day things will be better.

I think I've hit the wall and am having trouble getting any motivation.

I completely give no fucks these days. My fucks account is overdrawn. I have no fucks left to give.

 

[paperfist]

Why would you even work at a job like that? I can understand if it's your own business and you're grinding, but if you're doing it for someone else you're insane.

I'm self employed and do what they are doing but I'd never expect that out of my employees.

These guys are gladiators!

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm going on 40 days now without a day off. My day starts at 5:30am and I don't get home until 7 or 7:30 at night. I think I've hit the wall and am having trouble getting any motivation.
Has anyone here had a similar situation? If you have how did you find the strength to get up in the morning and do it everyday? I've got three more weeks left and I just don't know if I can physically or mentally do it......I'm so tired.

When you say 'day off', do you mean a day off work that you were meant to be working (ie. booking holiday time) or do you mean you're working 7 days a week?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I'm self employed and do what they are doing but I'd never expect that out of my employees.

These guys are gladiators!

I won't be as kind with my description - those guys are fools. I'm sure I'll get flooded with nasty responses, but regularly working hours like 7:30 AM to 11 PM is nothing to brag about and they're getting played. Been there, done that, and seen it a million times and the look on management's face whenever their best employee told them to get bent was priceless.

I can't tell you how many nights I worked late because my boss would come to me at 4:30 and demand a business justification, multiple scenarios designed, quotes, and/or project plans be sent to him by 8 AM the next day. I found out that in most cases, not only didn't he need them the next day, but he didn't need them for DAYS. I found out that after one particularly brutal late night of doing this, he didn't even present my work for another WEEK. So one day he came to me, again right around 4:30-5:00:

BOSS (in a panic): I need you to do x, y, and z and I need it by 8 AM tomorrow!
ICF: Nope, can't do it.
BOSS (shocked face): Err, what?
ICF: I can t have it done. I am leaving in a half hour. I can stop work on all my other projects and work on it tomorrow during the day, however.
BOSS (confused look): But I need it by 8 AM!
ICF: Well in that case, I guess you should've come to me earlier today, right?
BOSS: uh.....ah....errrr...
ICF: I'll work on it tomorrow and get it to you the day after. If that's not good enough, I suggest you do it or tell your boss we need more time.
BOSS: Ok.......

It was amazing how my boss was always out of there right at 5 PM every day except during review season and believe me, when he worked late, he made enough sure everyone knew it. That exchange, however, was the end of my late nights and I still continued getting the top review in the department.

 

[Chaotic42]

Working crazy hours to make up for your manager's lack of management is definitely not something to be tolerated for long periods of time. It happens, but it shouldn't be a constant or even the main source of overtime.

 

[NoCreativity]

When do you find time to actually live life? I work <=40 hours per week and I am struggling to find the time to do everything I want/need to do.

 

[ultimatebob]

still no Mclaren pics. shame!

Ok, here is one of mine:

 

[WhiteNoise]

What kind of job do you have that does not allow any time off? Isn't that illegal? Not sure as I have not read up on this but it seems like it would be illegal unless you work some sort of job that goes 50 plus weeks on and then loads of time off? I dunno. I barely make it through M-F until I reach my weekends off. lol

 

[Chaotic42]

OP, whose fault is it that you're working a lot of hours? Did management drop the ball? Someone quit? Customer go crazy and make weird demands?

 

[bbhaag]

OP, whose fault is it that you're working a lot of hours? Did management drop the ball? Someone quit? Customer go crazy and make weird demands?

It's my own fault. I'm self employed. I own a small retail business.

 

[Chaotic42]

It's my own fault. I'm self employed. I own a small retail business.

Well, then you should take solace in the fact that you're building *your* business, which is probably the best reason to be working a ton of hours.

 

[Ns1]

It's my own fault. I'm self employed. I own a small retail business.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If you run your business efficiently you should be able to have time to do all of those.

 

[Ns1]

If you run your business efficiently you should be able to have time to do all of those.

Being the owner means you can be as inefficient as you want and give no fucks

 

[Gerle]

During deployments we'd go for right about 200 days with no days off. But the chow was good, at least.

 

[blackangst1]

That sucks man. Been there, done that. Time off is crucial for personal well being. The company I work for takes time off earned away at the end of the year (not all of it though) to encourage employees to actually take it.