The last few weeks have seen the end of two contracts and I’m finally entering a lighter period of work. It’s a great time to really think through how to make the best use of this time.
Acceptance
I think a big thing here is about acceptance. Having spoken to a number of other freelancers, they almost all talk about the feast or famine nature of self-employment. It’s a huge help to know that it’s a natural part of working for yourself and attempt to be more comfortable in an uncomfortable space. Accepting it also means I’m trying not to fight it, or panic about it.
Faith
Another angle is having faith. If you’d asked me two years ago whether I would be able to secure a year’s worth of freelance work, I would have said absolutely not and yet I’ve done it. And because I’ve done it for a year already, logic dictates there’s a strong chance I’ll be able to keep doing it. Work magically appeared for my first year, so why should I not believe it’ll also be there for the next year? A skill you definitely need as a freelancer is the ability to hold your nerve.
Self-Care
I’ve had way too much work on in the last 4 months and my self-care has definitely suffered. I’m well over a year overdue on a haircut, I’ve got a Christmas voucher for a massage I haven’t used yet and I can’t remember the last time I had a whole day just to myself. Every holiday for the last 9 months seems to have been plagued by illness, I have a list of people I want to catch up with and a life admin job list as long as your arm. So when I first realised I might have an actual day off available, self-care was my first thought. And I followed through with that haircut and a café stop to start writing my annual letters to my kids. It feels wrong to take that time, but committing to holidays is tough when you’re self-employed so actually celebrating lighter periods of work as holiday makes complete sense for me.
Professional Development
Two things I’ve wanted to do for a while have come to fruition now I have the time – one is business coaching and the other is training. I’m trialling a 6-session package of coaching to explore whether it is a good fit and helps to clarify my thinking and goals for my work. I’ve also taken the plunge and invested in a training course I’ve loved for a while now. It feels scary to invest in training out of your own pocket, and really makes you consider return on investment. However, two sessions in, I can see the huge value in being connected in to an international network of facilitators who all bring different knowledge, skills and approaches and I’ve already learnt a lot I can apply in work I do. It’s another block of time you’re in danger of feeling guilty about, but investing in your professional development not only keeps you relevant, it helps you feel inspired, motivated and connected.
Over the last year I’ve also collected a huge range of articles, training courses, blogs and resources I’d love to explore. So far they’ve gone an almost “sometime never” folder because I’ve barely been able to look so far. But I’m genuinely excited to be able to take some time and work out which ones to follow up.
Admin
I mean, it had to make the list. I have annual renewals coming up for insurance, domain hosting and other things. I need to do my self-assessment, finally install Office 11 (I know, I know!), I need to archive some files, update my website and a whole host of other things that are important but haven’t made it to the top of the list recently.
Networking
As with professional development, there’s a list of people I want to meet up with – previous colleagues, other freelance contacts, as well as braving a specific networking event. It’s partly personal in order to catch up on news and updates, but from a professional development angle it’s also about keeping up-to-date with sector developments, building your network and keeping your name out there for potential opportunities.
Future Work
Another one of my commitments in this time is to expand my options for finding work. On the recommendation of an ex-colleague, I’ve signed up to a local authority tendering portal and I’ve submitted a CV to a charity that holds a bank of experts they call on regularly. Next up I’m planning to register with a number of recruitment agencies that specialise in interim roles and investigate registering with some specific freelance platforms. I want to maximise the opportunity for finding the right work next and there’s some different routes to explore to see which is the best fit.
Relax
Finally, and the hardest of all, I’m trying to relax. While the default is to worry about less work, I’ve planned for this and have a financial buffer ready. More than that, I could argue I’ve earnt this. Juggling 3 and then briefly 4 clients in the last 4 months has been incredibly stressful and actually banking all that extra work is effectively just balancing this period of time out now. So although I doubt I’ll ever manage it, I’m going to tell myself I deserve it and maybe attempt a bath and a box-set in celebration.