Self-employment. Solopreneurship. Freelance. Portfolio Career.

Whatever you call it, it’s the best and worst and a very hot topic conversationally. My friends in corporate daydream about it. My fellow self-employed friends secretly apply to full-time jobs on LinkedIn while heralding the bliss of being able to make their own schedule.

I’ve done both and I get the appeal of both, especially depending on your season of life. Cue my impending self-funded mat leave. But today’s not for debating whether or not it’s a good move. That’s for you and your therapist to discuss! Instead, I’ll be sharing seven ways I making working for myself enjoyable—how I infuse a little lightness into what can feel like neverending emails and intro calls.

1. Summer Fridays

This is a new one for me and it only took a few 5p Friday calls for me to realize things were not working. I was inspired by my friends

I’m not fully Fridays-off quite yet, but my laptop is shut after noon, and I try to schedule a lunch with a friend or an appointment to get out of the house. I’ve also made it a habit to visit a local bookstore on Friday to load up for the weekend, too. I bought Crush on Friday of last week and finished it Saturday. So good.