Read on for changes to Out Of Office…
Morning, Colleague
Being self-employed, as we all know, is something of a juggling act. A common fear when starting out is: I can’t afford to turn anything down. I spent my first year of freelance life saying yes to absolutely everything. That year led me to some brilliant connections (and some very weird press trips) but it also left me mentally at the end of my rope, and I’ve felt the echoes of burnout over the months and even years afterwards.
Not to keep harping on about Oliver Burkeman’s writing, but a line of his has been stuck in my mind recently. I’m paraphrasing, but essentially: in not making choices to pursue one thing over another, you end up not properly doing anything.
Sometimes it feels we can do everything, but that’s rarely the case. We have to make choices. Saying no to one work offer can allow us to say yes to something better.
I’m getting better at when to say no to other people’s work requests, but I sometimes struggle to manage my ambitions for my own projects. My passion projects are what get me out of bed in the morning. I don’t mind that they don’t make me much money— they make me happy. I can usually fund the time I spend on them through other paid work.
However, these passion projects of mine have been steadily expanding over the last new years. It’s time for me to re-evaluate the amount of unpaid work I create for myself. I need to create some new space.
So here is my new plan. I’ve decided to make a switch:
(Yes, that’s the Princess Switch. Look, this newsletter was hard to illustrate, ok?)
Here’s what’s changing: from now on, Out Of Office is going to be a monthly newsletter rather than weekly.
I have loved - and continue to love - writing this newsletter. It’s been a wonderful tool to give my working life some structure, has introduced me to incredible experts and readers and fellow newsletter writers, and has given me space to write about topics I’m passionate about, without needing permission from an editor. But the time has come to scale back and re-focus my energy. One day of unpaid work per month is much easier to justify than one day every week.
I’ll be doing several things with the extra time and energy this creates. Some of that energy will be channeled into self-care. I’m looking down the barrel at various medical procedures over the next few months, and I need to reduce my stress levels and look after myself. Some of that bonus time I’ve created will go into my existing paid work. And the rest will hopefully go into a brand new creative project…
Now isn’t the time to go full-steam-ahead on this new project. I’m aware of that. Right now, I just like turning the idea over in my mind, occasionally getting it out into the light to polish it, like a really satisfying pebble. But the fact I’m making space for it in my calendar makes me very excited.
Of course, Out of Office isn’t going anywhere! I’ll still be here, rabbiting on about topics that interest me, as well as speaking to experts in the field, and I would still LOVE to hear from you.
I’ll also keep the monthly accountability chats going (last Friday of the month) and will be asking for a minimum of £1 per month from visitors towards my Zoom costs.
It sometimes feels sad to scale things back, but it’s also liberating. Nothing makes time slow down quite like a new challenge — it’s why my years in offices all merge together into an indistinct blob.
Right now, I’m saying yes to my health, and, in time, a new professional challenge. I’m also saying ‘yes’ to making choices, and to a brand new chapter in the life of Out Of Office. I hope you’ll stick around for the ride!
Lizzy X
Time for a change
YES. ♥