Jason Fried:
Change is important. When we were growing up, we got summers off from school. Summer vacation was change. It was something to look forward to. A few months of something different really meant a lot.
We grow out of a lot as we grow up. One of the most unfortunate things we leave behind is a regular dose of change. Nowhere is this more evident than at work.
Work in February is the same as work in May. June’s the same as October. And it would be hard to tell August from April.
To step out from behind the curtain for a moment and be transparent with you guys, what Jason writes about here has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve been learning to navigate ever since I took this site full time.
I haven’t taken a complete break from this site since I started it 18 months ago. Even on vacation I steal away for an hour or two every day to read and write a bit (and I’m not talking about recreational reading and writing).
Because, in a way, I don’t work for myself. I work for you, dear readers and members. And if I don’t visibly show up every day by posting something, there’s a sense that I’m not working.
Of course, in reality, I doubt any of you are thinking that. But that’s what I assume you’re thinking even though I should know better.
I know how to invest my time in the long-term growth, innovation, and quality of this site. But often it’s the short-term expectations or the seemingly urgent events that take hold of my attention. And, if not that, then it’s the fear that taking a complete break from work (or taking time away from publishing something in favor of working on a different project) will be perceived as laziness. What? Nothing new on shawnblanc.net today? I thought this guy was full-time. Sheesh. What a bum.
In short, I wonder if I would do better, more challenging, and more exciting work if the value and consistency of that work was not measured in 24-hour cycles.