How I Spend My “Day Off”
As many of you know, grave tending is not my full-time career. I also have a 40-hour/week office job. I’m writing this on Veteran’s Day, a mid-week federal holiday in the US, so I have the day off. But when your grave tending business is a side hustle, you have to take advantage of any extra free time you have.
This is a great opportunity to share with you what a typical “day off” looks like. So here goes!
A bonus day + sunshine = a great time for a Winter Cleanup!
Starting Slow and Picking Up the Pace
First, and this is a great start, I let myself sleep in. (Okay, so I got up at 7 o’clock, but it was light out, and I didn’t set an alarm.) After enjoying a cup of coffee, I exercised, ate breakfast, then got myself ready for the day. Time to work!
I started by opening up my laptop and reviewing my Winter Log tracker to note which clients need a decorated winter log, plus the size and any decoration preferences. Then I texted the nursery to talk about timelines: when I should drop off the logs and when they would be ready to pick up. After that, I hopped back online to research where to find decorations for the logs, because this year I’m trying something new: the nursery will prepare the logs with greenery, then I’ll add the decorations myself.
Next, I made a trip to the florist to order two Thanksgiving arrangements for my clients. (Yes, I could have called, but I took the opportunity to return some glass vases…and it’s always good to connect with your suppliers in person every once in a while.) As soon as I returned, it was time to pack the car and take advantage of the low-traffic weekday to drive to my farthest client and perform a winter cleanup at two sites.
Afternoon Activities
When I arrived home, it was time for lunch and a bit of recovery. (I find I need to build time into my day and label it “recovery” instead of “relaxation” or it’s not going to happen.) I decided I had time to squeeze in one more local Winter Prep service before it’s too dark, so I hustled back out for an hour.
The rest of the day was devoted to desk work: client communication, updating client sheets from today’s visits….and writing this article!
Always More to Do…But at What Cost
Ultimately, every “day off” can be an opportunity to further my business, either working IN it at the cemetery, or working ON it in my office. Was there more I could do? Absolutely. Being a small business owner means there is always something else on the to-do list. I could have pushed myself back outside to buy mulch or start creating tags for my winter logs.
But at some point, loading my day with more tasks pushes it from productive to overworked. The goal is to spread the work more evenly across time, not to burn myself out today. Intentionally setting the day’s pace is just as key as setting the agenda.
And speaking of intention: Not every bonus day must be devoted to checking things off the to-do list. Personally, I occasionally plan a “no-work” day off, with activities like going to breakfast with my parents or taking a walk at the lake with my husband. How often depends on the grave tending season and how busy the rest of my life is at the time.
Bottom line, having a bonus day mid-week allows me to schedule a lower volume of tasks than a typical weekend day and still feel good about what I accomplished. And, of course, my future-self appreciates that I pulled forward a bit of next weekend’s work, so maybe I can sleep in a bit on Saturday, too.