I teach languages and I'm self-employed. Being self-employed I was always trying to work hard and to earn as much as I can, as you do. I had never been desperate in doing so but it was a 'more the better' principle. Then one day someone said to me, "Why don't you cut down? Cut down and make a 'Me Day'. I'm not sure if you are always good at having time to yourself." I was working six days a week then.
More or less at the same time someone else said to me in a casual conversation, "Be careful. You could be doing this because it keeps coming and you can't say No". Now, this was definitely a message. I'm definitely not a religious person, but if something similar happens twice in a row you would take it as a message, wouldn't you? You are very stupid if you didn't.
I'm busy on Saturdays, so I decided to take Wednesdays and Sundays off. This is about a few years ago, and the rule is still the same now. I don't make exceptions, no matter what. Has my income gone down? Absolutely not.
At first I didn't know what to do on my off days. I've always had a list of things I want to do in one of my files, so I started with a few of these things in a minor way. Then, when you start doing stuff things begin to happen. I've always wanted to do Kendo (a Japanese martial art), and guess what. Someone who is practicing Kendo appears in my life. The practice sessions are now the highlight of my week at the moment.
Then I noticed something. On Wednesdays (one of my off days) I'm not as relaxed as I am on Sundays. It occurred to me that it's the word 'Sunday' that is the magic word. Keep your eyes shut when you come around in a weekday morning in your bed and tell (and convince) yourself, "It's Sunday today". Try and see how you feel :) Mind you, you can only do this if you don't have a 9-5 job and kids. Mine is nearly 19-years-old, and my off days are a self-indulgent reward for labouring over my child for two decades.
This salad fits the bill. White stringy thing in the picture is shredded daikon (Japanese mooli called 'tsuma') which comes together with tuna sashimi when you buy the fish at Japanese fishmongers.
Ingredients (for 1 person, but you can always multiply):
(for the marinade)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp saké
1/2 sugar
(for the tuna)
100-150g freshest tuna steak
1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
(for the salad)
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp olive oil
half a bag of mixed salad
half a fennel, thinly sliced (paper thin!)
a handful of shredded daikon (optional)
1 tbsp dried seaweed (optional), soaked in water for 10 minutes
(for the dressing)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce
(Do try and find 'Yuzu-Pon' in a Japanese shop and use it instead of soy sauce and lemon juice mixture. It's absolutely heaven.)
(Do try and find 'Yuzu-Pon' in a Japanese shop and use it instead of soy sauce and lemon juice mixture. It's absolutely heaven.)
1 tsp olive oil (optional)
Mix the ingredients of the marinade well and marinade the fish for about an hour.
Mix the dressing ingredients and set aside. Arrange the salad leaves, daikon, fennel, and seaweed on a plate.
Put the olive oil into the cold pan, add the garlic slices, and put the pan on the heat. Keep your eyes peeled. Garlic burns very quickly. Take the pan off the heat just when the garlic starts to take on colours. They will brown slowly in the residual heat. Fish out the garlic slices.
Heat the pan again and add the oil for the tuna. Fry the fish for 30 seconds each side on a high heat. Slice it into 2cm chunks and arrange them on the salad. Drizzle the dressing and scatter the garlic slices (and fennel tops if you have them).