- early morning rehearsal
- sound check
- morning service
- break for lunch
- private rehearsal
- band rehearsal
- Gathering service
- Chinese food and television
Sometimes we shake it up with Thai food and a movie, but you get the picture.
I'm definitely not complaining. We feel incredibly blessed to make a living doing what we love. I'm just acknowledging the reality that for most people in ministry, Sunday isn't our day of rest. And working in music always feels like a 24-7 job.
Last spring I found myself feeling completely overworked. There's this myth out there that if you're self-employed, you can pick and choose your work hours. The real danger is that you can actually end up working every day - taking gigs when they arise, writing songs when they come, arranging rehearsals around everyone's busy schedules, and constantly tackling site updates, music selection, booking, grant applications, writing newsletters, organizing gear...
So now, we take Mondays off.
I've taken to putting a vacation reply on my email so I don't feel obligated to check it "just in case". We try to avoid any kind of house work, car repair, or errands. And the best part is if we do go out somewhere, it's usually pretty quiet because the rest of the city is having a workday.
The only goal is to rest, reflect, spend time with family, and face a day with no expectations.
If you're self-employed, I highly recommend choosing your own day of rest, ordering some hot and sour soup, and reminding yourself that "rest" can sometimes be more productive than "work".
FYI - I've dated this for Monday, but let's be honest, I'm writing it on Tuesday and just adjusting the date. Nothing this solid was actually accomplished yesterday...
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