I’ve missed these last two Friday’s when I haven’t written to you.
I’m scribbling this in my lunch break, between bites of a cheese sandwich and a packet of Hula-Hoop crisps, but I wanted to tell you what’s been happening and why I’ve not kept up with the emails.
A few weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to do a freelance copywriting job. It’s just to cover the freelancer who does it regularly whilst they’re on leave, only a couple of months or so.
I’m already stretched. I’m busy with my social media clients to the extent that I’m no longer taking on any more, I have my consulting work and I have a book that my publisher is waiting on for edits. I have another novel to write that I’ve planned out, I have my paying subs on here and oh… the list goes on. Life is full.
But then, this gig.
The pay is good and it’s interesting, really interesting. It’s right up my street and as I listened to what was involved, I found myself saying yes.
I figured it might not work out anyway. I might be rubbish at it and the work would be sporadic and the other freelancer who I was covering might not take the sabbatical for the length they intend.
Now I’m in the thick of it and I’ve realised two things.
The first is, I love it.
I’d forgotten how enjoyable copywriting is. After working on my novel for so long, with so many edits and notes and all the waiting that’s involved, to get immediate feedback, to get good immediate feedback is brilliant.
I also forgot how nosey I am.
I love asking people questions about how they live, what they do. I forgotten that, and this gig has me interviewing people as part of the job.
So I’m in a bit of a pickle.
For the next couple of months, I’m working on all the things and this newsletter was the first to take the hit. I can’t do everything all the time, so I’m pre-warning you that it might be sporadic for the next few weeks. And I hate that, because I love writing these letters to you.
But I have found some tools that have helped me stop the overwhelm and relax a bit about everything I’ve taken on, and thought they might help you, so I’m sharing them here.
Microsoft To Do App
This was recommended as a way to brain-dump in the morning all the tasks that needed doing and make lists from it. It’s been great. I’ve never found myself asking ‘what’s next’ or scrabbling around for my diary when it’s all there on my phone. It’s also incredibly satisfying when you get to tick the tasks on your list off!
Turn over your phone
I used to do this, then I didn’t, but now I absolutely do. After I’ve started work on my task, I put my phone face down on the desk so I don’t see any notifications. Sounds simple, but it works. Turn off your phone, put it in the next room, turn it face down on your desk. Stop all distractions.
Prioritise work and play
I’ve already said how this free newsletter was the first to take the hit, I needed to the time to create the Monday Muse for paying subs, but I’ve also been prioritising my social stuff as well. Saying ‘no’ to a few things that I know would leave me drained the next day when I need to be bright and alert for the writing.
Set boundaries
When it became apparent at how busy I was going to be, my first thought was ‘I’ll work evenings and weekends,’ then I realised how ridiculous that was. I finish work at six and don’t answer another work email or reply to a message after that. It helps enormously knowing that everything stops at a certain time and if it doesn’t get done, it’ll have to wait.
Also, I know at some point I’ll have to re-evaluate it all.
I can’t keep saying yes to writing projects because they sound like so much fun. I can’t look at social media accounts and suddenly find myself auditing and offering to help and take over because, again, it will be fun.
I need to take a moment and think where I want all this to go, but more importantly, how I want my life to look.
At the moment, and it feels like it’s been like this for a few months now, life is rushing by.
Do you remember when slow living was all the rage?
You couldn’t turn round without bumping into an article about ‘hygge’ or a picture of a coffee cup. I need a bit of that back in my life.
I need to stand back and look at the big picture of my writing and social media business and have an outside view of where I want it to be in the next few years. What I want to do be doing, how I want to be living.
I keep hearing that Annie Dillard quote in my head, from her book The Writing Life, ‘how we spend our days, is how we spend our lives.’ And I don’t want to spend mine feeling rushed.
So this weekend, I’m reading Annie Dillard and taking photographs of my coffee mug and watching Eurovision with my daughter and cooking and gardening and doing it all really, really slowly.
Have a great weekend,
Zoe x
Thanks Zoe! A reminder to us all that we can be gentle with ourselves while also being firm! Stay sane, and enjoy the ride. I also loved something that Jess who writes The Write Up (why are my @ s not working?!) said last week about reframing 'busy' as 'full' when describing our lives. The mental shift feels empowering rather than overwhelming when things are all go.