Weeknote 14 – Taking back control of my time

Last week I took a day and half off. On Wednesday I met a couple of friends, who are also freelance, for lunch. It was a beautiful sunny day so I decided to stay in central London, walk along the south bank and wander round the Tate Modern, somewhere I haven’t been since pre-pandemic times. At the top I ate a scone, drank tea and watched the sun set over St Pauls.

It felt really nice to be able to gift myself this time. My projects are still getting going and, unlike full time roles, I didn’t need to be at my desk if there wasn’t work to do. This felt empowering.

I’m still feeling my way into what my preferences will be now I have more control over when I work. I still feel quite tightly bound by the 9–5 regime but I wonder if working a slightly later day might be a nice experiment for me to try. I love sleep and I never know what to do with myself between 5–7pm.

I’m also feeling a shift in mindset getting back into having multiple projects on the go at once. There was a time, working in consultancy, when this was normal for me. But it contributed to me burning out so I’m keen to keep an eye on things. I do really love the variety, this is something I really missed when I worked in house. I just need to be wary about how much I say yes to.

I’m also enjoying building new working relationships with both collaborators and clients. I wonder if I’ll struggle to keep my energy levels up without the in person interactions or the changes in environment. I’m hoping working with a range of different people will give me this energy. It certainly has this last week.

I’m also noticing the odd bit of imposter syndrome creeping in here and there. Only minimal at the moment but I’m aware all my projects are stretching different areas of my skillset, some in areas I’ve not worked in for a while or areas that are new to me. I’m working hard to lean into the learning, be kind to myself and look to others around me when I need support.

Lastly I was really heartened by the response I got last week to my walk n talk offer. I’ve already had a few people book calls (despite my best friend texting me telling me she was going to book them all!) It feels nice to be able to help people out while making new connections. And starting the day with a walk is always a positive move for me.

Have a good week friends.