I recently saw an ad for a grab and go breakfast drink from Organic Valley. It showed real professional women getting ready for their days — in contrast to the idealized images we often see of perfectly-coiffed women doing healthsome and wholesome things with their mornings.
It was pretty funny, and it made me think about my own day as a freelancer. For the most part, I have it pretty good. However, I do have a child (even if he is a teenager now), and there are times when I’m tired and my morning doesn’t go quite as I planned.
I’m often asked what my day as a freelancer is like, and I thought I’d share.
Morning Routine
I’ll be honest. The only reason I drag myself out of bed as I early as I do is because I have a son that needs breakfast before he goes to school. He’s capable of getting his own breakfast, but I think it’s important to get up and send him off.
I try to breathe deep, stretch, and do a little yoga. I have a little journal that doesn’t take much time to write in. I’ve been bad about both of those things since I broke my right wrist.
There are mornings that I just can’t get going. My son gets cold cereal instead of oatmeal for breakfast. I send him with $5 to buy lunch instead of packing him something I made.
And, because I’m a freelancer, there are days that I am still in my pajamas come lunch time. Earlier this week, I didn’t even bother to get dressed. It’s just the way it goes sometimes.
Getting to Work
Most of the time, I prefer to work in the morning. I like to get as much done as I can right after my son leaves for school. Many days that works well.
However, there are times I get distracted by an interesting (and usually useless) comment thread on Facebook. Or I just don’t feel like doing anything. If it’s important, I power through. If it’s not, I just might decide to take a “day off” and go for a walk or curl up with a book and a cup of herbal tea.
That is one of the perks of being a freelancer: I can take a day off with greater ease. The flip side is that eventually that work has to be done. I can decide to have my nails done and meet a friend for lunch on Thursday, but I’d better be ready to get work done on Saturday or Sunday if that’s the case. As a freelancer, if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. It’s why I suffered through weeks of dictation software after breaking my wrist. I needed the money.
Doing More of What I Want
My days are, fortunately, mostly filled with doing what I want. I like being a freelancer. Since moving to Idaho, I have more time to get involved with the community and start new projects of my own. Even though I sometimes bemoan the fact I have stuff to do, and my mornings aren’t always ideal (I’m not getting up super early and exercising), the reality is that I still have a lot of freedom and flexibility in my life.
None of us live ideally all the time. The key is looking for contentment where you can find it.
