I'm on the countdown to freelance at the moment and my thought have been turning to how I'll spend my time after I leave my regular routine. I want to make sure I get into good habits so it'll be easier to keep them going.
There's a few lifestyle changes I'd like to make as well as getting my business off the ground, so my plan of action so far is:
1. Getting fitter. I've been very sedimentary these last few years; I used to waitress so ran around all day without worrying what I ate - this is not the case any more and I could do with dropping some weight. Therefore I intend to go for a 45 minute jog-walk most mornings down to the beach and back to both clear my head and gear myself up for the day.
2. Getting up later and going to bed later where possible. I'm not an early-morning kinda gal, and my job has meant an 8am start each day - I'm looking forward to knocking that on the head and only getting up before 7 if I feel like it!
3. Moving my head into a better place. Over the last few weeks I have been spending all my spare time reading business advice and gearing up for the change; I read a book last year called 'how to get from where you are to where you want to be' and it was brilliant - it really encourages positive thinking and I had the idea for my business just after I finished it. I've recently picked it up again and have found it's been good at keeping the momentum; I now read some every night as I know that if I lose my courage then I could fail at this.
4. Live in the now a bit more. People are always looking back at what has happened or forward to what they want to happen; it's important to appreciate the now and enjoy the journey. I'm usually quite good at this but can sometimes lose track of life and miss what's happening. It's good to be in the present and appreciate it.
I think that each point is manageable and should hopefully keep me moving in the right direction; it's a very exciting time but a bit scary if I think about it too hard - so my plan is to keep looking ahead and not to look down!
There's a few lifestyle changes I'd like to make as well as getting my business off the ground, so my plan of action so far is:
1. Getting fitter. I've been very sedimentary these last few years; I used to waitress so ran around all day without worrying what I ate - this is not the case any more and I could do with dropping some weight. Therefore I intend to go for a 45 minute jog-walk most mornings down to the beach and back to both clear my head and gear myself up for the day.
2. Getting up later and going to bed later where possible. I'm not an early-morning kinda gal, and my job has meant an 8am start each day - I'm looking forward to knocking that on the head and only getting up before 7 if I feel like it!
3. Moving my head into a better place. Over the last few weeks I have been spending all my spare time reading business advice and gearing up for the change; I read a book last year called 'how to get from where you are to where you want to be' and it was brilliant - it really encourages positive thinking and I had the idea for my business just after I finished it. I've recently picked it up again and have found it's been good at keeping the momentum; I now read some every night as I know that if I lose my courage then I could fail at this.
4. Live in the now a bit more. People are always looking back at what has happened or forward to what they want to happen; it's important to appreciate the now and enjoy the journey. I'm usually quite good at this but can sometimes lose track of life and miss what's happening. It's good to be in the present and appreciate it.
I think that each point is manageable and should hopefully keep me moving in the right direction; it's a very exciting time but a bit scary if I think about it too hard - so my plan is to keep looking ahead and not to look down!
Speaking as someone who has been self-employed for almost 21 years in one form or another, the best advice I can give you is to know yourself, all the guide books in the world can't help you unless you understand who you are, how you work best and the people you work well with and for - or you will end up unhappy, frustrated and unfulfilled.
ReplyDeleteDon't force yourself into working patterns that don't suit you - don't put yourself into situations that you find difficult or unprofitable.
I also find that weekends are brilliant for concentrating on difficult stuff. When you are freelance - you quickly realise that the phone stops ringing at about noon on Friday - and does not start again until about 2pm on Monday - 'cos office bods are either off on their weekends or standing around talking to each other about the telly - it's the best time to get anything done without distraction or interruption.
you will have to be prepared to make sacrifices - but there are many, non tangible rewards - and do something that gives you a routine, or you will end up pissing your time away ( in my case, it's dog walking )
- also, get a good accountant you trust and can talk to, drop me a line if you need a local recommendation.
Good luck.