31 March 2008
One of the factors in my decision to go freelance was my health.
After losing a lot of weight a few years ago and being in the best shape - and health - I'd been in for years, a combination of factors have meant that I've slipped back from that peak.
By quite a bit.
I've been wanting to do something about this for quite a while now, but spent so much of last year having one cold/flu/upper respiratory infection/bout of tonsilitis after another, and between that and working full time and commuting, there didn't seem to be any time or energy left at the end of the day or week to do anything serious about it.
The other factor was that, actually, I find going to the gym massively dull.
Not a good combination for losing weight and getting fit, really. Even the embarrassment of going to the doctor and on three separate occasions him telling me I was a bit overweight (no shit, sherlock) and kindly printing out some information on how to lose weight (as if the reason I'm overweight is that I just don't know how to lose weight) was sufficient motivation to get me to sign up for the gym. Mostly because there isn't a decent gym directly on the line of my commute, and I just knew that there'd be no way I'd go out of my way to do anything if I was in any way tired/late/it was a day ending in y.
Strangely though, as I began to think about going freelance, an image kept popping into my head.
I kept having this very clear vision of me, freelance, getting up in the morning when Karl gets up. Leaving the house when he does, and rather than going to the bus stop with him as we usually do, giving him a goodbye kiss and then walking in the other direction, towards the park. Walking past the duckponds, up the hill past the tennis courts then down the other side, and spending half an hour to 45 minutes in the gym. Then walking back across the park, coming into the house, having a shower, making breakfast, and, by 9.30, being sat at my desk, awake, energised and ready to start work.
It's a strange image for someone who a) is not a morning person by any standards, and b) hates the gym, but nevertheless, a few weeks ago I joined the gym, and even spent a couple of hours on weekend mornings there.
I've had moments where I've doubted myself, and my decision to do this freelance thing, but this morning, as I walked out of my house, said goodbye to Karl and walked across the park to the gym, my mp3 player, set to random, by wonderful coincidence started playing a FatBoy Slim track.
As the music played, I realised that, actually, this is absolutely what I want, need and am supposed to be doing.
Right here.
Right now.
Hurrah. For serendipity and pieces falling into place.
Well done for taking a chance and doing what you want. Funnily enough, I was thinking about the gym this morning, as I huffed and puffed to fetch a paper. And about striking out by myself and taking a chance on changing my work situation. Hmmmm, food for thought.
Glad it's working out - and I'd agree, that in general it's better to be freelance than working for a company- healthwise, at least. In my experience, being responsible for your own destiny can be stressful but it's less stressful than a "proper job", regardless.
All the best with it.
Brilliant stuff - life-style is everything "IMHO.
This sounds like a positive move Ann, and it sounds like you're reaping the benefits already.
I imagine that when your freelance work starts building up and getting too much, you may find your time so short that you may have to start jogging to the gym in the morning :-)
An email address is required, but will not be displayed, nor used for any kind of nefarious purpose.
You may use HTML in your comment, but only for styling. Anything else will be stripped.
... the online home and (not very) alter(ed)-ego of Ann McMeekin, a recently freelance Web Accessibility Consultant.
... passionate about many things, most of which will turn up on this site at some time or other.
... contactable via email.
Design and content copyright 2000-2007 pixeldiva, except where noted.
Copyright of comments remains with the individual author.
All rights reserved.
Left comments