Totally relate to this—had a client once who ditched a cushy corporate gig to open a food truck. Sounded awesome until he realized weekends off were now his busiest days. Makes me wonder, how much do we underestimate downtime when chasing dreams?
Went through something similar myself—thought freelancing from home would mean more freedom, but ended up working evenings and weekends way more often. Downtime's sneaky like that...you don't realize its value until it's gone.
I get your point about downtime being undervalued, but I'd argue freelancing doesn't always have to mean sacrificing evenings and weekends. When I switched to freelance consulting, I initially fell into the same trap—working nonstop—but eventually learned to set clear boundaries. It takes discipline, sure, but once you establish firm working hours and stick to them, freelancing can genuinely offer more flexibility than a traditional job. Maybe it's less about the job itself and more about how we manage our time?
"Maybe it's less about the job itself and more about how we manage our time?"
Yeah, totally agree with this. Took me forever to realize that freelancing didn't mean I had to be chained to my laptop 24/7. Now I actually schedule in "lazy homeowner" tasks—like finally fixing that squeaky door or pretending I'll organize the garage someday... Keeps me sane.
Yeah, managing time definitely helps. When I switched jobs, I thought I'd have more free time automatically, but nope... ended up spending hours researching budget hacks and DIY fixes instead. Guess balance doesn't just happen—you gotta plan for it.