The path to burnouts?

I try to be as professional as possible. In everything... But it seems to me that other tend to prey on that professionalism. Is it really too much to ask that work related requests are emailed or written down. I give myself a hard time for forgetting things, but really, if you I'm jumping from job to job, am I supposed to remember everything on top of that?

"If you want something to get done, ask a busy person."

I have often heard the phrase. The idea being, I suppose, that somebody who is already busy obviously considers a number of things important enough for their time. And by extension, they will more than likely apply that importance to the task requested of them.

The question then arises, "How busy is too busy?"

When is a person so busy that they have to shed or stop taking new jobs on? I'm sure that there are hundreds of "You have lots of time, but dont use it properly" books telling you whats wrong with your day and work methods...

I often wonder, though, do we really give ourselves credit to rest and switch off? For example, I cycle to work, then from 9-5 design things day in and day out. I then cycle home, get showered and usually work from 6.30 until at least 9pm. This, my friends, I think is the road to burnouts.

Perhaps the idea to remedy this is to just not take on more work, but I feel convinced that there must be a better solution... And besides, I do not think there are many other designers that would stop taking things on...

Work smarter?

How do you work smarter? More conservative with completion estimates? That never seems to work, as all clients expect and presume they will get the end product yesterday. It's a mindset that I believe is difficult if not near impossible to change in most clients. Plus there is the strange mindset that we also have - the one that expects that inspiration will flow from the heavens, and the job will be as smooth as butter. It never runs that way, but we always forget.

Rested.

Perhaps 4-day weeks are the solution. I have read that certain designers have decided to take up the four day week challenge. It would certainly be a break from the seven-day week. Probably the extra day (3 days?) would help recharge and bring back some inspiration. It would be a novelty to try it... It would be interesting to see what you guys have to think about all this....

As for me, perhaps next week. I have work to do.