Poll: Do you treat yourself after completing a big project? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you treat yourself after completing a big project?".
This poll was originally submitted by Kätlin Alasepp. View the poll results »
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If I have nothing else in the pipeline, I might take a day off, go shopping or lunch at a nice restaurant, but more probably I’ll take some time to deal with everything else I have been putting aside while working on that project...
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:13
Member (2008)
Italian to English
question "Do you treat yourself after completing a big project?"
No. I treat myself all the time, for all kinds of spurious reasons.
| | | | Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 15:13
Member (2020)
English to German
+ ...
I know that my reward center tends to go haywire, so I try to keep a lid on it, but yes, a small reward after a particularly large and/or frustrating project is a must.
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| Expensive jeans ... | Feb 27 |
I recall that, in my first year of business, I bought two really expensive pairs of jeans when I had completed my first 4-digit project. I don't do so anymore nowadays, to avoid getting a too full closet 😆 And I'm still wearing the jeans!
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When I got paid for my first big project in 1993 I bought myself a decent hifi system. Most of it has had to be replaced over the years, but I still use the speakers today.
These days, I'm like Tom. Well, in this respect!
Life's too short to wait for treats if you don't need to.
| | | | Enrico Zoffoli 
Italy
Local time: 15:13
Member (2013)
German to Italian
+ ...
Though that might be an option upon payment of the big project.
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I do sometimes take a day or two off though, particularly if it's been a tight deadline and I've been working long hours to fit it in. That's treat enough for me.
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 15:13
French to English
Mostly, when it's a high-brow text about an artist for a museum exhibition, I have sweated blood to get the text to sound good. It's utter torture and every time I think I was crazy to specialise in art and why don't I just do something simpler... until I do my final read-through, putting in the commas I took out earlier like Oscar Wilde, and at that point I get a sense of accomplishment in the form of a rush of something addictive, better than chocolate. I'm elated, I'm dancing with joy as I f... See more Mostly, when it's a high-brow text about an artist for a museum exhibition, I have sweated blood to get the text to sound good. It's utter torture and every time I think I was crazy to specialise in art and why don't I just do something simpler... until I do my final read-through, putting in the commas I took out earlier like Oscar Wilde, and at that point I get a sense of accomplishment in the form of a rush of something addictive, better than chocolate. I'm elated, I'm dancing with joy as I finally send it off, and quite frankly, that reward is plenty and it means I'll accept the next one with a squeal of delight.
When it comes to billing time, though, I need to get a big bar of chocolate and reward myself after every bill and also for checking up on bills paid, and hopefully there's still some chocolate left over if ever I have to send out reminders for unpaid bills.
(makes mental note to get some chocolate because the end of the month is nigh)
Edith van der Have wrote:
I recall that, in my first year of business, I bought two really expensive pairs of jeans when I had completed my first 4-digit project. I don't do so anymore nowadays, to avoid getting a too full closet 😆 And I'm still wearing the jeans!
Well done Edith!
[Edited at 2024-02-27 19:38 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | The question is a bit insulting, actually | Feb 27 |
The mere concept of splashing out after being paid for a big project would suggest that many translators (who would do that) are living on very little money. Translators should at least earn enough, overall, to be able to budget like other people - meaning that money then has a value, so you would think twice about splashing out. If by "treats", the edible kind is meant, it would contribute towards the weight problems that many translators seem to have.
| | | | | I take the morning or afternoon off | Feb 28 |
All of my projects are 'big projects' (exhibition catalogues, museum catalogues and books for the most part), and after finishing one I usually take the morning or afternoon off before starting the next one. If it was an especially large and difficult project, and I've been putting off a lot of other things to get it done, I'll take the day off. This always means falling a bit behind on the next project, which wasn't a big deal before I had a child, because I had the time and energy to make up ... See more All of my projects are 'big projects' (exhibition catalogues, museum catalogues and books for the most part), and after finishing one I usually take the morning or afternoon off before starting the next one. If it was an especially large and difficult project, and I've been putting off a lot of other things to get it done, I'll take the day off. This always means falling a bit behind on the next project, which wasn't a big deal before I had a child, because I had the time and energy to make up the time. Now it's a lot harder. ▲ Collapse
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Sometimes, that is I treat myself to something I would not normally have spent so much on. What I always do though, is to give a donation to a cause I believe in such as Hospice. That I ALWAYS do and that's a celebration too.
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 15:13
French to English
Astrid Elke Witte wrote:
The mere concept of splashing out after being paid for a big project would suggest that many translators (who would do that) are living on very little money. Translators should at least earn enough, overall, to be able to budget like other people - meaning that money then has a value, so you would think twice about splashing out. If by "treats", the edible kind is meant, it would contribute towards the weight problems that many translators seem to have.
Astrid I really disagree with your take. Yes chocolate will make me fat, but as you see from my post, I treat myself to it only when I'm doing my bills and accounts, that's once a month. That's not enough to make me fat, and even if I have put on some weight compared to when I was in my 20s, it's certainly not a problem health-wise. And it's more due to changes in my metabolism than what I eat since I actually eat far fewer fattening foods nowadays - back when I was 10 kilos below my ideal weight I was eating mainly bananas and hazelnut and chococate spread, straight from the jar.
And if I decide to treat myself to something more expensive after doing a big job, I really don't see how that would imply that I don't budget well. I would say it's actually the opposite: you've done a bigger job than usual, so you'll have earned more than usual, so you can afford a treat. It's actually a wise moment to splash out. Self-care is important, especially when you spend most of your day alone with no more than a cat on your lap, no colleagues to high-five or go to lunch at a special place with.
Looking at people' answers, most said they take a bit of time off. They'll be catching up on things that they've been putting of until they've finished the job. Personally I might just watch two episodes of whatever I'm watching rather than one. That's a treat, and it's not splashing out. Nothing offensive there.
As for the notion that it implies that the translator has very little money? I really don't get that. Yes poor people do tend to splash out on a big feast when they come into money, even if they don't know where the next meal is coming from. However, rich people also splash out on special occasions so it doesn't imply poverty in the least.
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Everyone needs a pat on the back from time to time. Why not reward yourself for a job well done? It's good for your mental health and it gives you something nice to look forward to during the project.
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