Waste some time
There's a great quote by Amos Tversky, a famous research psychologist who explored human decision-making:
“The secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours.”
Americans love the idea of being busy. It's a badge of honor to respond with "oh man I am swamped" when someone asks you how you're doing.
But I've never been attracted to the busy state. I like having long blocks of time with nothing to do.
As a 1099, you're in a better position than most to set that up for yourself.
You can be a little underemployed, in both shorter timeframes (leave work at 3 PM or early on a Friday) and on longer ones (take 1-2 months off in between projects).
You give up some money, but in exchange, here is what you can get out of your underemployment if you do it right:
- Better relationships
- Better fitness
- More creativity
- Less stress
- More contemplation
Wasting some time in the short term may actually have greater benefits in the long term.
So if you go 1099, make sure to send a calendar invite to yourself to "waste time."
Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.