The Setup
I’m on vacation. First real time off in months. And instead of relaxing, I immediately opened Claude Code with a question:
“What should I work on during my 3 days off?”
Because that’s what I do. That’s what we all do, right? Time off = time to finally work on side projects without the day job getting in the way.
Except this time, Claude called me out.
The Brain Dump
I started listing everything on my mind:
Project A - A developer tool I’ve been building for months. Haven’t touched it in a month. Don’t feel the energy for it right now.
Project B - A Vagrant WSL2 provider I started working on for work-related infrastructure improvements. Interesting technically, but kind of niche.
Project C - My personal blog. Needs content. Needs automation. Needs… everything. But it’s also the least intimidating.
The content creation pressure - There’s this expectation to write professional articles. But for what? Who does it serve? It feels disconnected from what I actually want to build.
The bigger financial goal - Long-term savings targets. The kind of number where investment income becomes meaningful. But how do I get there faster?
I dumped all of this on Claude.
Claude: “Okay, so you have about 8 different strategic goals, 3 active projects, multiple potential pivots, and you’re asking me what to work on during a 3-day vacation?”
Yeah. That sounds about right.
The Analysis
Claude started doing what Claude does - objective technical analysis.
If the goal is 400k EUR savings, then side projects won’t get you there. The math doesn’t work. Even successful open-source sponsorships rarely hit 4-5k USD/month. The realistic path is:
- Senior/Staff Engineer at a remote EU/US company (120-180k USD/year)
- Consulting/Freelance at high hourly rates (150-300 EUR/hour)
- Bootstrap a SaaS that hits product-market fit (rare, slow, risky)
If the goal is more career flexibility, then the blog becomes a useful tool. Technical showcase + online presence = options.
But here’s the thing Claude noticed:
I kept saying “I should” do this. “I need” to do that. “It would be valuable” to work on X.
Zero mention of “I want to” do anything.
The Conversation Shift
At some point, my partner walked by and asked what I was doing.
“Trying to figure out what to work on during vacation.”
Her response: “How about you rest? Or work on something fun and small? You’re burned out.”
I went for a walk. One hour. Came back and told Claude:
“You know what? I think I’m at the edge of complete exhaustion.”
Claude: “Yeah. I noticed.”
The Brutal Truth
Claude laid it out plainly:
Burnout is not a motivational problem. It’s a physiological state.
You can’t “push through” burnout the same way you can’t run on a broken leg. You need recovery.
And here’s what happens if you ignore it:
Option A: Force yourself to work on projects during vacation. Feel guilty when you don’t have energy. Accomplish less than you hoped. Return to work even more exhausted.
Option B: Actually rest. Do small, fun, low-pressure things. Let your brain recover. Return to work (and side projects) with actual energy.
Which one is the better long-term strategy?
The Blog Realization
Claude pointed out something interesting:
The blog is the perfect “recovery project.”
Why?
- Creative but not draining - Writing is different from coding
- Flexible effort - One post can take 30 minutes or 3 hours, depending on energy
- Immediate satisfaction - “I published something” dopamine hit
- Long-term value - Portfolio content that helps with every strategic goal
- No pressure - There’s no deadline, no client, no dependency
Compared to:
Complex side projects during burnout:
- High cognitive load
- Long feedback loops (code → test → debug)
- Easy to get stuck and frustrated
- Pressure to “make progress”
If I’m genuinely burned out, forcing myself to write code will just make it worse.
The Micro-Task Strategy
Claude suggested something ADHD + burnout-friendly:
Micro-tasks. Max 1-2 hours each. Stop when done.
Not “finish the automation pipeline” or “ship a major feature.”
Instead:
- Reorganize blog posts into year-based folders (currently 45 posts in one directory)
- Rewrite About page
- Make CV available again (but which version of the 8 I have?)
- Write a post about why I don’t want to do traditional cybersecurity work anymore
- Think about the portfolio/projects page
Notice the theme: None of these are high-pressure. All of them feel like progress.
And here’s the key part Claude emphasized:
If you only do half of this list, that’s still a win.
No “I must accomplish X in 3 days” pressure. Just: do what feels good, stop when it doesn’t.
The Meta Post
As we wrapped up the conversation, I realized:
“You know what? This conversation itself is a good blog topic. ‘Sometimes you should fuck off and reset.’”
Claude: “Want me to write it up?”
And here we are.
What I Actually Learned
1. Burnout Is Real
You can’t logic your way out of exhaustion. The solution isn’t “better planning” or “more motivation.” It’s rest.
2. The “I Should” Trap
When everything is phrased as “I should,” “I need to,” “it would be valuable” - that’s a warning sign. Where’s the “I want to”?
If there’s no genuine curiosity or interest, it’s just obligation disguised as productivity.
3. Micro-Wins During Recovery
ADHD + burnout is a brutal combination. The solution isn’t “big ambitious goals.” It’s small, completable tasks that give you that “I did something” feeling without draining you.
4. Your Partner Is Usually Right
When the person who knows you best says “you’re burned out, rest” - they’re probably right.
Not because they’re smarter. Because they’re not inside your head rationalizing why “this time it’s different.”
5. Side Projects Are Long-Term Games
Whether it’s building tools, writing content, or learning new tech - none of it is urgent.
The 400k EUR savings goal? Won’t happen this week. The contractor conversion? Not decided in 3 days. The international job hunt? Doesn’t start or end with this vacation.
But burning out completely? That can happen fast.
The Plan (Loose, Flexible, No Pressure)
Here’s what I’m allowed to do over the next few days:
- Reorganize blog posts into year folders
- Rewrite About/Home pages if I feel like it
- Make a CV available (after picking one of the 8 versions)
- Write a post about why I prefer building security software over traditional cybersec work
- Maybe think about portfolio/projects page structure
Rules:
- Max 1-2 hours per task
- Stop when it stops being fun
- Zero guilt if I don’t finish everything
- Walking, playing games, doing literally nothing = also valid activities
And honestly? Writing this post already feels like a win.
What About You?
If you’re reading this and thinking “yeah, I have 5 side projects and no energy either” - maybe this is your sign too.
You don’t have to “figure out the optimal strategy.” You don’t have to “maximize productivity.” You don’t have to “use vacation time effectively.”
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is nothing.
Or at least: something small, fun, and low-pressure.
Your side projects will still be there next week. Your career goals will still be valid in a month. The 400k EUR savings target doesn’t care if you rest for 3 days.
But you might care if you burn out completely trying to sprint through exhaustion.
The Conclusion I Didn’t Want to Hear
Claude’s final point was simple:
Long-term goals don’t depend on what you do this week. But burnout is a short-term threat.
If I force myself now, I might accomplish 10% more this week - but lose 50% productivity for the next two months.
If I rest now, this week is “wasted” - but next month I’m back at full capacity.
The math is obvious. The discipline is hard.
Epilogue:
After writing this post, I told Claude: “You know what? Jarvis, fuck off. I’m actually going to rest now.”
Claude: “Perfect. That’s exactly the right call. Enjoy the rest.”
And that’s where this ends.
Not with a grand plan. Not with “here’s what I accomplished.”
Just: recognition that sometimes you need to stop, reset, and give yourself permission to do nothing.
Or in my case: write one blog post about doing nothing, and then actually do nothing.
Close enough.
Written during a vacation where I was supposed to be resting. The irony is not lost on me.