I\u2019ve always wondered what working for yourself would be like \u2013 I probably had those fairy tale images a lot of people have about easy starts to the day, midday exercise, working in cafes and all this space to fit the extra bits of life into. The reality is a bit different, not necessarily bad, it\u2019s just a whole lot of grafting and flexing to different work. This week has been all about the balancing act so here\u2019s a quick insight into the day that was Tuesday this week:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Child 2 wakes up and despite knowing it\u2019s too early promptly wakes the rest of the house, possibly the street. Not the most zen way to wake up, but it\u2019s very effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two children\u2019s worth of breakfast sorting, teeth-brushing, clothes finding, bag packing negotiations, ultimatums and clock watching. Alongside the bartering, unload\/reload dishwasher, pack away yet another load of washing, feed the cat and despair the fact that the floor is covered in cereal. Again. Laugh at said cat because he\u2019s currently wearing a cone of shame for a tail injury and while the injury itself was sad, he\u2019s still got no spatial awareness with it so keeps bouncing it off doorways. Debate whether I feel sorry enough for him to take the cone off so he can eat breakfast better but it also means watching him like a hawk so he doesn\u2019t lick it. At least we\u2019ve stopped having to cover it in the vet-prescribed manuka honey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sudden call from nursery that they’ve got an electric failure so they’re closed. Try not to panic about all the things we’ve both got in our work diaries today. After a quick chat with my husband, we decide he should go into the work office because my day is easier to flex. It’s just one of those days where work and life clash and there’s not a huge amount you can do about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take Child 2 with me when walking Child 1 to school, which means it\u2019s a slightly more drama-filled than when we get to do the walk alone. But it\u2019s a nice sunny day so a good slice of fresh air and seeing some friends to start the day. Hurry back so I\u2019m ready to chair a meeting, but not before I\u2019ve set Child 2 up with snacks and Netflix in the other room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chair a meeting for Charity Client 1 around everyone\u2019s weekly priorities for policy and communications. This is making sure the four core people involved in these areas are up-to-speed on what\u2019s going on as things change quickly, such as halting some planned communications around great new research a partner organisation has published because of the Queen\u2019s death. It also means we all aware of deadlines, prepped for upcoming meetings and able to make decisions quicker when we\u2019re all together. I follow up with some event prep with the person I\u2019m currently managing (which is something I hadn\u2019t necessarily expected to do as a freelancer) for an important event we\u2019re running in a few weeks\u2019 time looking at how to reduce school exclusions with a number of charity and local government partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belatedly take Child 2 to nursery now they\u2019ve finally reopened. While you know building faults can\u2019t always be helped, it\u2019s a classic example how life and work sometimes clash and there\u2019s no easy way to resolve it. What was lovely was the round of messages from friends offering a variety of minding other peoples\u2019 kids since we all had full days of work planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two more hours work for Charity Client 1 focusing on policy and communications. It\u2019s less than I\u2019d usually do this for client today but I delivered training on Friday (usually a day off with my daughter) to their team so I\u2019m owed an hour and half back to balance out my hours. Today I do a scan of key media outlets and social channels for important news and updates and prep some output on their social channels \u2013 this week I\u2019m highlighting some of their mentoring workshops, an inspirational quote and some resources for supporting children with SEND (special educational needs and disability) as new school year gets underway. Then I do some final editing on the core script and theory of change for their emerging policy position to reduce primary school exclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lunch break and celebrate I\u2019m still managing to eat pretty well while working from home. I\u2019ve really had to up my game lately after a rough patch of family illness and sleep deprivation which meant I was constantly reaching for the comfort foods. I know eating well helps my sleep, my focus, my overall health but it\u2019s so hard to pick the salad over the chocolate sometimes. Today I do well and mentally give myself some brownie points and hope I won\u2019t blow that tonight once I log off. I finish some interview prep that I wasn\u2019t able to complete over the weekend because we were off camping with friends. It was great for the enforced downtime but it did mean squeezing a lot into this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do some house tidying and scan the \u201clife to do\u201d list and realise I\u2019ve got 81 internet tabs open on my phone \u2013 feels very representative of my brain at the moment. Resign myself to the fact that it\u2019ll stay like that for a while and decide to focus on a couple of core ones \u2013 booking the kids into the dentist, sorting a present for a birthday party at the weekend, ordering a repeat prescription and booking a supermarket delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve just started a new contract and am getting myself up-to-speed on everything they\u2019ve sent over, from business plans to member consultations. It\u2019s an organisation I was involved with a few years back while holding an employed role and it\u2019s lovely to catch up on their development, and to reframe the relationship now I\u2019m a paid freelancer for them. This week the priorities are to agree an outline workplan of what can be achieved in the time I\u2019m contracted for \u2013 initially just three months. We need to make sure we\u2019re prioritising the right areas and that it\u2019s realistic for the time I have. Three months sounds long but when you look at actual hours it\u2019s a week and a half full time, and that really brings home the importance of being pragmatic. I\u2019m keen they quickly see value for money so I also get cracking setting up meetings with some freelancer contacts to sense check their budget and timeline for a rebrand they have planned, and review their current website before submitting an outline report of it\u2019s current risks and opportunities and recommended changes to content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another unusual event \u2013 I interview for a new contract. I found a really interesting freelancer opportunity that runs for 6 months for around a day a week supporting online network of digital and tech companies work with the charity sector. It focuses on building the community of practice through events, resources and peer support and caught my eye as a great new challenge. I\u2019m currently accidentally quite communications focused which isn\u2019t necessarily my passion so it would be great to add some more variety into my current contracts. The interview goes well and I get some great feedback \u2013 I think both sides are considering whether we\u2019re a good fit for each other, particularly as they\u2019re at a turning point in their development and whoever takes on the role will play a core role in which direction they take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I squeeze in a quick hour of overdue business admin. Today I needed to invoice Charity Client 1 for last month\u2019s work. I\u2019m trying hard to own that and front it like it\u2019s standard but there\u2019s always an element of awkwardness asking for money. But the CEO is quick to authorise and their payment runs are regular so it\u2019s as easy as it can be. I do a scan across LinkedIn from a personal\/professional basis and post about my CPD. I\u2019m trying to use LinkedIn for a bit of CPD accountability and to showcase how differently it can be structured when you don\u2019t have the back up of an organisation with a budget behind you. I do a quick check across the key channels for freelance opportunities because it\u2019s addictive and I don\u2019t think you ever get over checking for what\u2019s available around the corner. I quickly check out an event I like the look of and at \u00a325 I decide my professional development budget can probably stretch that far at least. I love the voluntary sector for the value it delivers. Finally, I book another catch up with the guy I\u2019m mentoring as we have committed to monthly phonecalls and we\u2019re in danger of being too busy. He runs a charity as a one-man band and we were paired through a mentoring programme I volunteer. We focus on his and the charity\u2019s development, and I\u2019m an objective sounding board as he grows the charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to the palaver of nursery closing this morning, I now have the car with the car seats in so I\u2019m now on duty to do both collections. I drive to school for Child 1 who was in afterschool club to give us a slightly extended work day than the usual stop at 2.30pm for school pick up. I snack him up while we drive to Child 2 at nursery, before getting home for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dinner for everyone, with the husband back from the work office and the cat still in his cone. I wish it was bedtime for me, but no, it\u2019s time for all the shenanigans of leveraging two overtired unwilling small people to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extended bedtime resistance from Child 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crossing everything that upstairs stays quiet while we finally enjoy some peace and quiet away from work and parenthood, ready to do it all again tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photo by Green Chameleon<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em> I\u2019ve always wondered what working for yourself would be like \u2013 I probably had those fairy tale images a lot of people have about easy starts to the day, midday exercise, working in cafes and all this space to fit the extra bits of life into. The reality is a bit different, not…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[33],"tags":[11,15,12,21,25,10],"class_list":["post-224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-day-in-the-life-2","tag-consultant","tag-founder","tag-freelance","tag-non-profit","tag-self-employment","tag-start-up-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
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