I am a Drupalist and work for a large government contractor and was able to switch to 75% time 30/hours a week about a year ago. I did it for several reasons:
* a bit of burnout (not acute, but the preliminary symptoms were there)
* wanting more time for myself (my side projects and fitness had been languishing under work and family responsibilities)
* wanting to get back into coaching (rowing--does not pay well, but is extremely gratifying)
All told it's been wonderful. I really enjoy my 2/hrs day for myself. I would work less, but I want to meet my saving obligations. The current situation is a nice compromise.
Tips:
* Make sure you plan each day what you're going to do (I do this as part of my work prep so I never skip this)
* Give yourself permission to f!ck off every now and again; just don't make it a habit
* Devote some time to learning new skills (2 hours immersion in new software > 5' reading about it)
* Be clear with your employer and co-workers about when you are available and when you're not and stick to it.
* For coding side-projects, always leave 15' to create a note to yourself about where you are and update your @todo so when you jump back in you can be productive quickly.
* a bit of burnout (not acute, but the preliminary symptoms were there)
* wanting more time for myself (my side projects and fitness had been languishing under work and family responsibilities)
* wanting to get back into coaching (rowing--does not pay well, but is extremely gratifying)
All told it's been wonderful. I really enjoy my 2/hrs day for myself. I would work less, but I want to meet my saving obligations. The current situation is a nice compromise.
Tips:
* Make sure you plan each day what you're going to do (I do this as part of my work prep so I never skip this)
* Give yourself permission to f!ck off every now and again; just don't make it a habit
* Devote some time to learning new skills (2 hours immersion in new software > 5' reading about it)
* Be clear with your employer and co-workers about when you are available and when you're not and stick to it.
* For coding side-projects, always leave 15' to create a note to yourself about where you are and update your @todo so when you jump back in you can be productive quickly.
If you can do it, I highly recommend it.