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Work. Not work.

(1 minute read.)

On. No.

I was recently listening to an air traffic controller talking about how his ability to do the job varied according to external factors… basically, how he was feeling, and whether he'd had enough sleep or a disagreement with his partner and suchlike.

He explained that 'somedays, I can move airplanes like nobody's business, and other days I can't do the job to save my life'.

My own commercial activity is similar… not in having to move planes around, but in how my ability varies—and for this reason, I arrange my life so that when I'm not feeling capable I don't work.

This may sound self-indulgent and precious; perhaps to some degree it is—I don't care. Simply, I work when I'm best able to. As part of this, I try to pace myself… overworking and being tired leads to mistakes.

I don't set schedules or targets, because working to an artificial marker is not helpful—what I do or don't do depends very much on my energy. If I'm feeling good I often do more than I was intending to, and hopefully have the wisdom to stop before I reach my limit.

Of course I don't earn when I'm not working, but hopefully there's still ongoing income from previous activity; and I've savings (not much, but enough) which enable me to not need to work every day.

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