Well I have had a bit of a dismal few weeks – I rolled the side of my foot at the beginning of September and it’s taking a while to heal which means I’ve stopped running and walking isn’t the easiest. There’s so much work going on at the local pool that swimming is a nightmare too so basically I’ve been on my sofa and I’m pretty sick of it.
I got really down last week but after a weekend with my friends and family, I feel so much better. I feel like the sun has finally come out after weeks of downpour (as an added bonus, it is actually sunny while I’m writing this, even though there is heavy rain forecast again). I’d forgotten how great it is to get out and see the world, especially when your home is both your workplace and the place you have to tidy up every day!
I loved the idea of working from home when I was in an office. Whenever I did work from home, I got so much done because there were no interruptions from either the phone or someone just rocking up for a chat when I was in the middle of trying to concentrate. Not that I usually minded that much to be fair, I just really noticed the difference in my productivity when I was working at home. Now, the reality is a little different though. My home isn’t always the sanctuary it was when I was at work.
I used to come home, walk in the door and relish the silence. It was great to just flop down on the sofa and indulge in pure silence knowing that it wouldn’t be interrupted by someone calling me to ask for help or just walking over to give me some work to do. It was peaceful and I loved it, especially after I’d moved to my house. Now, however, I’m there all the time. It has felt a little like a prison sometimes because I can’t just go out whenever I feel like it as I’ve got work to do. I’ve got posts to make, admin to do, people to talk to, accounts to document and whatever else comes my way.
What I realised at the weekend was that actually getting out has helped me. I don’t have to sit there stewing in my perceived incompetence and unhappiness. Getting out is essential to find new ideas, talk to other people and find something interesting to say! Starting your own business seems to be about finding the balance in your life and part of that balance is about how much time you spend inside.
The other thing I’ve realised as well is that I no longer have to work 9-5 (or 8-4 or 10-6). I could work 7-10 then 2-4. Or a couple of hours one day then 10 another. I also don’t have to work a set amount of hours per week. It might be that one week I work 3 hours and another I work 60. To be fair, somewhere in between would be better for me I think lol.
But now I’ve decided to incorporate some time out of the house as many days as I can. It might be to go food shopping or, like this morning, going out for breakfast. It might be to go for a long walk (once I sort my foot out) or just to pop round and say hello to my parents (hi mum👋).
Finding the balance in life is important and when you don’t have structure enforced on you by having a regular job to go out to, you have to create your own. I was really excited about this prospect when I was walking the Camino and had all sorts of ideas. They seem to have gone by the wayside a little now but I’ve realised I can keep refining my original structure and make it more or less strict and incorporate more or less personal time. Because, let’s face it, the happier I am, the more my clients will get out of me😍
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