I finally set a hard stop time after a project ran until 2 AM

Last week, I was working on a website for a small business in Austin. The client wanted a 'few small changes' at 8 PM, and I agreed, thinking it would be quick. It wasn't. I kept going, fixing one thing and then another, and before I knew it, it was 2 AM and I felt awful. The next day, I was a mess and couldn't focus on anything. So, I made a new rule right then: I stop work at 7 PM, no matter what. I told my next two clients about my 'office hours' and they were totally fine with it. Now, my evenings are for my family and my brain gets a real break. Has anyone else tried setting a firm end time, and how did you tell your clients?

4 comments

4 Comments

grace_kelly4518d agoMost Upvoted

How do you handle it when a client pushes back on your hours? I had one guy who kept calling after dinner until I just stopped answering, and he finally got the message.

susan_allen18d ago

Seriously, was that even a client worth keeping? Some people just don't respect basic boundaries, and ignoring them is the only language they understand.

lilyt2318d ago

That dinner call thing hits home. What happens when they don't get the message though, like if they start emailing at midnight expecting a same-night reply? Do you just let those sit until morning, or do you ever send a blunt auto-reply setting the hours?

david13417d ago

Watched a buddy of mine burn out hard last year. He kept taking calls from a client in a different time zone at all hours, and it wrecked his sleep. He finally sent a short email saying his phone goes on do not disturb at 7 PM local time, and he only saw pushback from one person who got over it.