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Abstract

y the project director.</p><p id="0118">I thought I was the weird one. And so, I went back to my desk. I continued working. Day and night. I did not even have a chance to pop outside for meals. The bento box was delivered to me at prescribed times.</p><p id="251f">I finally got to go home on the third day.</p><p id="6bd6">Reason? My team was done with our assigned targets.</p><p id="e0a8">The project director was noticeably pleased. He told us to go home and take a 1 day off.</p><p id="4eed">By then, I was so stinky, sticky, brain-fried, and washed-out that I grabbed my half-open bag and sprinted to the exit.</p><p id="87cf">I thought I would nap and get my friends out for beer.</p><p id="eea1">No. That never happened.</p><p id="bd13">My nap turned to hibernation.</p><p id="41b7">I collapsed and slept for 20 hours.</p><p id="20b8">The remaining 4 hours were spent in a zombie daze, iterating between channel flicking and a trip to the refrigerator.</p><p id="2ffb">No fun.</p><h1 id="bd69">From Rest Hours to Off Days</h1><p id="ebd6">Yes, push.</p><p id="2873">Because we need to challenge ourselves to do better at doing better.</p><p id="9dce">But also, take your breaks.</p><p id="0999">It can be measured in minutes, hours, or days. No matter. Take them. A fresh mind awaits.</p><p id="f1b5">Why is that important?</p><p id="ddc6">Because creativity and critical thinking flourish when we are fresh.</p><p id="7565">Let me use the example of online writing.</p><ul><li>I write with more clarity in the morning.</li><li>Sentences are shorter and punchier.</li><li>Edits are more comprehensive.</li><li>Ideas flow naturally.</li><li>I finish faster.</li></ul><p id="f40a">I write during after-hours too. I feel the difference.</p><ul><li>I press the backspace button more often.</li><li>Commas and periods are rare.</li><li>Grammarly is upset with me.</li><li>Ideas are written with gaps.</li><li>I take forever to finish.</li></ul><p id="82d2">I often wonder why. It is the same me, after all. What accounts for the stark difference?</p><p id="3311">Well, I have zero stress in the morning. I have not started work. Writing in the evening means walking to the start line with 10–12 hours of work already in me.</p><p id="2ef5">I may write something I don’t appreciate when I am tired and impatient.</p><p id="822a">So, I avoid it.</p><p id="5c43">And then, there is a patience drought.</p><p id="f6e2">It is the same reason I refuse intense client discussions at 5 in the evening. I cannot think. I get distracted. I want a cup of coffee.</p><p id="bec1">I get irr

Options

itated easily. I may say something I regret.</p><p id="935a">So, I don’t.</p><p id="c362">And I know it is like when non-stop working days aggregate into weeks and months.</p><ul><li>I make dumb decisions. Like giving a 35% discount to a prospect.</li><li>I make stupid mistakes. 1 + 1 = 5 is possible.</li><li>I say regrettable things. Vulgarities fly.</li></ul><p id="b9e4">So, I avoid it.</p><p id="4f05">Because I know I will regret it.</p><p id="4fc7">As I always do.</p><h1 id="779b">The Close</h1><p id="3645">Zero off days is a silly productivity hack.</p><p id="17a0">It grinds us down to a point where we can no longer produce anything during our waking hours. It is a waste of time.</p><p id="6aae">Don’t.</p><p id="0e36">Instead, be reasonable to yourself.</p><p id="9097">Take 15-minute breaks. Take your off days. Get away from your laptop and cubicles.</p><p id="0907">You will enjoy your work better.</p><p id="f83f">And.</p><p id="de63">You will beat that crazy guy beside you who has been working 365 days a year without rest.</p><p id="d4f5">For sure.</p><p id="a7dd">100%.</p><p id="5056"><i>Enjoy my writing?</i> <i>Consider subscribing <a href="https://aldric-chen.medium.com/subscribe"><b>here</b></a>.</i></p><div id="766a" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/4-reasons-why-how-our-day-jobs-still-have-a-place-in-our-lives-3deefb90df81"> <div> <div> <h2>4 Reasons Why & How Our Day Jobs (Still) Have a Place in Our Lives</h2> <div><h3>I’m being real here</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*sokpx4-2b8G7iLaQ3V9cbg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="7faa" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-i-believe-the-best-thing-we-can-do-for-ourselves-is-to-avoid-the-middle-2d1f104dbeaf"> <div> <div> <h2>Why I Believe the Best Thing We Can Do for Ourselves is to Avoid the Middle</h2> <div><h3>I’ve got a strong endorsement from a sandwich and a hamburger</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*lxBW85O6rQPOEOo1tIrAqA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

‘I Take No Days Off’ is Kamikaze Mindset. I’ve Dropped It. You Should Too.

Avoid racing to the bottom

Why set yourself on fire? Does it make sense? Photo by claude elmoznino on Unsplash

Maybe you are the gung-ho type.

You believe that rest days are for wimps. That you are mentally resilient. That you are immune to psychological wear and tear.

I have good news for you.

You are about to receive the lesson of a lifetime.

I Have Been There, Strong One.

I remember my first job.

And my first day.

I cannot recall what happened exactly. But this is what I know. I went home on the third day.

Yup, you did not read that wrong. I checked in on Day 1, was brought to a desk, tossed a laptop, and got instructed to start checking my emails.

1 became 2.

2 became 200.

Before I knew it, I got buried by the emails coming in faster than I could clear them.

Time flies.

I was psychologically done by 6 in the evening. I powered down my laptop and zipped up my bags. I was ready to leave.

Or so I thought.

I was too loud, apparently. Everyone could hear the whizzing sound of the zipper flying from left to right. It caught the attention of that one person I should not.

This bloke is the project director.

He signaled me to get to his desk while I was near the exit. I complied. What happened next was unbelievable for a 1-day old consultant wannabe.

Assh0le Director: “Where do you think you are going?”

Me: “Home. It’s 6 pm. It is time to knock off.”

AD: “Listen, young punk. You don’t knock off until I say you can. Get back to your desk!”

By now, everyone looked up from their cubicles. That b**t**d’s voice was as loud as thunder ripping through the open sky.

All eyes were on me.

I looked at them. Followed by the project director.

I thought I was the weird one. And so, I went back to my desk. I continued working. Day and night. I did not even have a chance to pop outside for meals. The bento box was delivered to me at prescribed times.

I finally got to go home on the third day.

Reason? My team was done with our assigned targets.

The project director was noticeably pleased. He told us to go home and take a 1 day off.

By then, I was so stinky, sticky, brain-fried, and washed-out that I grabbed my half-open bag and sprinted to the exit.

I thought I would nap and get my friends out for beer.

No. That never happened.

My nap turned to hibernation.

I collapsed and slept for 20 hours.

The remaining 4 hours were spent in a zombie daze, iterating between channel flicking and a trip to the refrigerator.

No fun.

From Rest Hours to Off Days

Yes, push.

Because we need to challenge ourselves to do better at doing better.

But also, take your breaks.

It can be measured in minutes, hours, or days. No matter. Take them. A fresh mind awaits.

Why is that important?

Because creativity and critical thinking flourish when we are fresh.

Let me use the example of online writing.

I write with more clarity in the morning.
Sentences are shorter and punchier.
Edits are more comprehensive.
Ideas flow naturally.
I finish faster.

I write during after-hours too. I feel the difference.

I press the backspace button more often.
Commas and periods are rare.
Grammarly is upset with me.
Ideas are written with gaps.
I take forever to finish.

I often wonder why. It is the same me, after all. What accounts for the stark difference?

Well, I have zero stress in the morning. I have not started work. Writing in the evening means walking to the start line with 10–12 hours of work already in me.

I may write something I don’t appreciate when I am tired and impatient.

So, I avoid it.

And then, there is a patience drought.

It is the same reason I refuse intense client discussions at 5 in the evening. I cannot think. I get distracted. I want a cup of coffee.

I get irritated easily. I may say something I regret.

So, I don’t.

And I know it is like when non-stop working days aggregate into weeks and months.

I make dumb decisions. Like giving a 35% discount to a prospect.
I make stupid mistakes. 1 + 1 = 5 is possible.
I say regrettable things. Vulgarities fly.

So, I avoid it.

Because I know I will regret it.

As I always do.

The Close

Zero off days is a silly productivity hack.

It grinds us down to a point where we can no longer produce anything during our waking hours. It is a waste of time.

Don’t.

Instead, be reasonable to yourself.

Take 15-minute breaks. Take your off days. Get away from your laptop and cubicles.