When you work as a contractor, you don’t have a job: you have a project. You don’t have a boss: you have a client.
That freedom comes with a price: each project has an end date. It might be true for any job; however, it is more frightening when you know it will happen.
If this project ends, how soon can I get a new one? Would I get paid more or less? Am I going to enjoy working with the new team?
There is an overlooked place between projects where you can take a break, reflect, improve, and invest in yourself. Fear might push you to get on to the next project, and if you have a good network in a strong industry, it might come right after your last gig.
That time between projects is your vacation. If you think about this time in your professional career in that way, you will have two benefits: 1) you will save money for that period, and 2) you know that at the end of the project, you will have a well-deserved time off.
