I’ve been up to my earlobes in work and deadlines since we came back from our holiday – having many late nights and even working right through the night a couple of times. I do love working at home and I appreciate almost everything that it entails. I absolutely love what I do and I’m so grateful to be able to do it. But really, there’s no off switch. I work during the day, at night, and I work on the weekend, snatching any available time to try and get on top of things. I know a lot of you do the same.
Of course it’s wonderful to be able to work around Roxy’s school hours and I’m not trying to wear my busy-ness as some sort of weird badge of honour. And I don’t want to sound like I’m whinging, because really I’m not! Just telling it like it is. Can you relate? When I was employed full time as a graphic designer there was lots of (unpaid) overtime and late nights, but when I left at night I left work behind. Nights and weekends were mine to go out, chill out or spend however I wanted.
All that changes when you freelance or become self employed, when you become a parent, and it changes again if you become a single mother.
I feel bad for not nurturing myself, and very bad about not spending nearly as much time as I should with my friends. I don’t skimp on my time with Roxy though and I always try to be in the moment when I’m with her. That’s not negotiable. Unfortunately the things that I do allow to be negotiable are sleep and me time.
When I’m overloaded with work and life I still put pressure on myself to be here and blog most days. Everyday over the past two weeks I’ve been beating myself up for not posting. I have to remind myself that I’m not a professional blogger and that I’m here because I enjoy it. I remind myself that I choose to blog, and although I do feel a responsibility to you I don’t want it to turn into a big guilt trip and self-imposed burden. Ahh… reality check: the world won’t stop if I don’t blog!
I have a long list of things that I want to post about (I love a good list!), so I will find my way back soon when work eases off a bit. I just wanted to say hello and see if you have any thoughts on blogging pressure and guilt. Do you feel it? Do you have a certain number of posts you like to write a week? Is it a must-do for you, or are you OK to just blog when you can? Do you step back from blogging from time to time and feel OK about it? I’d love to hear what you think about this wonderful crazy blogisphere we’ve become caught up in.
see you soon,
x
Lisa
Edit: I have to add that I’m snowed under with my own work, not graphic design for corporate clients. I’m filling orders (lots of small ones and some that are very big) and creating and developing new products – trying to keep up with my own business. Which of course is wonderful. But as a friend said: be careful what you wish for!