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I'm in the bubble and you are absolutely dead on. My secret to avoiding burnout was to do contracting for four years. After this, and after going back to full-time work, I realized (at more than an intellectual level) for the first time that the more you work the less you make. Completely eye-opening.

Respect the 9-to-5 workday and good things will happen.

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Curious how contracting helped you realize this. Did you work more or less hours while contracting? How did contract work help you avoid burnout?

I have also found contracting is a good way to avoid burnout. The biggest difference is that there is a direct cost associated with hours worked and business owners readily feel the impact of asking you to work more.

When working on a day rate, you also have more power to say "My day is over, screw you." if they ask for more than their share.

Contracting is pretty sweet. The freedom gives you a lot of power.

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