| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: I know when to stop working at the end of the day because... Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Anthony Baldwin 
United States
Local time: 15:37
Portuguese to English
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I wish I could just stop every day when my child is done at school, but, alas, a 6 hour work day is not going to pay the rent. Since my daughter (13 y/o) still refuses to get a job and pay the rent, my income is the only in our home, so I must keep working...
It's really unfair, since, at her age, she knows everything, while I am but a confused parent, brain addled with the vagaries and vicissitudes of adult life...Clearly she must be more equipped than I am for the world of work, ... See more I wish I could just stop every day when my child is done at school, but, alas, a 6 hour work day is not going to pay the rent. Since my daughter (13 y/o) still refuses to get a job and pay the rent, my income is the only in our home, so I must keep working...
It's really unfair, since, at her age, she knows everything, while I am but a confused parent, brain addled with the vagaries and vicissitudes of adult life...Clearly she must be more equipped than I am for the world of work, no?
Like Mr. Cutler, I often work until my eyes bleed!
But, in truth, this always varies.
One day, I'm done when a project is done and delivered, whether that takes 6 hours or 18 hours (I worked yesterday until 3am this morning).
Other days, indeed, when I have leeway with deadlines, outsource work, etc., I can be done when my daughter comes home and spend the rest of the day hanging out with her (while, really, being a single parent, my work is NEVER done, is it?).
Most weekends, I work during the weekend, too, while some times I manage to take the weekend off (but always make time for the roller-rink on Saturday night, work or no).
It all depends on workload. When there's work available, I take as much as I reasonably can, sometimes working 18 hour days all week, because I know that next week there may be little work at all.
If work is consistent enough over a stretch of time and I start to feel a little burnt out, of course, I will take a well-earned day or weekend off, but only when I know that I've banked enough invoices to keep the bills paid for a couple of months running.
This is the life of a freelancer, yes? ▲ Collapse
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 21:37
Danish to English
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| ...my brain refuses to cooperate any longer | Jun 29, 2012 |
That's when I HAVE to stop, because the quality of my work will be affected if I don't.
But other than that, I have a vaguely defined working day that is from 8 am to 4 pm, which suits me fine. No family obligations whatsoever, it just suits me not to work mad hours. Mind you, if specific deadlines call for it, I will work slightly later, maybe until 6 pm and weekends, too, but I hardly ever work late in the evenings. Not only will I feel miserable and fed up, my productivity level ... See more That's when I HAVE to stop, because the quality of my work will be affected if I don't.
But other than that, I have a vaguely defined working day that is from 8 am to 4 pm, which suits me fine. No family obligations whatsoever, it just suits me not to work mad hours. Mind you, if specific deadlines call for it, I will work slightly later, maybe until 6 pm and weekends, too, but I hardly ever work late in the evenings. Not only will I feel miserable and fed up, my productivity level will also drop severely. A waste of time on several levels in my case.
As others here, I enjoy the freedom from a fixed schedule, so that if one day I don't feel like working and deadlines are well organised, I simply take a day off. In my last job, I only worked Monday-Thursday, and I must admit that this is the one thing I miss about being an employee, those regular, long weekends were nice. Nowadays, I feel a need to at least be able to check my emails throughout the day, Fridays included. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Paul Dixon
Brazil
Local time: 16:37
Portuguese to English
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| My eyes start shutting | Jun 29, 2012 |
My usual sign is that my eyes start shutting, showing it's time for bed. If I could, I would 24 hours a day, as I have bills (and Brazil's 100 taxes) to pay. I usually start mid-morning and continue until late at night, with a snooze break in the afternoon and also a couple of breaks to check my e-mails and play Words with Friends (like Scrabble, it's great for vocabulary). I also like to watch the news and on Sundays some 15 minutes of the Brazilian League matches (football that is).
| | | | David Ronder
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:37
Member (2008)
Spanish to English
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| In fact "combination of above" | Jun 29, 2012 |
I answered "I've done my day's quota" because that's the aim: if I manage that, everything else should fall into place. Sometimes it's just not possible. I hate going to bed, though, knowing I've got too much to do the next day...stressful. Would rather break through the fatigue barrier and get it done, however late it is.
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| A combination and it all depends | Jun 29, 2012 |
I used to work longer hours and think less about my health, but it did not serve me well, nor my family.
I prefer a schedule where I stop to work around 3:00 pm and then go back to work in the evening for 1 or 2 hours to wrap things up. I usually also include some kind of exercise in the morning or around lunch time.
Over the years, I have let go of clients who ask too much and kept those I consider to be better suited to my work style. I keep reminding myself, as a se... See more I used to work longer hours and think less about my health, but it did not serve me well, nor my family.
I prefer a schedule where I stop to work around 3:00 pm and then go back to work in the evening for 1 or 2 hours to wrap things up. I usually also include some kind of exercise in the morning or around lunch time.
Over the years, I have let go of clients who ask too much and kept those I consider to be better suited to my work style. I keep reminding myself, as a self-employed worker, that I am responsible for my schedule and well-being.
Of course, my schedule is somewhat flexible, since translation tends to be unpredictable. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | End of the day... what's that? | Jun 29, 2012 |
I work when there is work to be done. Sometimes I take breaks for family time, etc., but when there is work to be done, or a deadline approaching, I work regardless of the time of day.
The only exception would be when my husband says, "That's it, you MUST stop now and (eat something, get some sleep, go out for a while, etc.)!"
| | | | | Usually when I meet my quota | Jun 29, 2012 |
I posted this poll because sometimes I can't decide when to stop. Sometimes I meet my quota and decide to keep on going, then I realize that I've cheated myself of sleep. I was curious to know how this works for the rest of you, and your answers have rewarded me.
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I actually find it dangerous to work when tired, I start to make errors. It's not just an end-of-day thing either. The body needs movement to keep the blood flowing (to the brain too) so if I feel tired, I go for a walk or do yoga. If I feel sleepy, I go and snooze for 20 minutes (it really works- often feels like 2 hours!)
Forcing yourself to sit in a stupor in front of a computer, and sending off what you produce in this state, is bound to get you in trouble one day.
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