The problem with self-employment

Adam Tinworth
Adam Tinworth

Garden Leaves against the summer sky
I’ve just had my eyes opened by, of all things, The Onion:

While cracking open his second beer as he chatted with friends over a relaxed outdoor meal, Platt was reportedly seconds away from letting go and enjoying himself when he was suddenly crushed by the full weight of work emails that still needed to be dealt with, looming deadlines for projects that would take a great deal of time and energy to complete, an upcoming wedding he had yet to buy airfare for because of an unresolved issue with his Southwest Rapid Rewards account, and phone calls that needed to be returned.

That’s me. That’s been me for the last six months or so. Every spare moment has been work, home or baby care. Hobbies are all but non-existent, unless I find myself with unexpected spare time. Oh, I can’t only blame self-employment – I can also have a good go at laying it at the feet of having a baby, and buying a new house. But still, that’s me. My to-do list in Clear is hanging just up and to the right of the window I’m writing this post in – and it’s a long list.

So, this lunchtime, I took a lovely walk into Shoreham, got a haircut (no selfie – I’m not a teenager) and some coffee, and enjoyed the summer for a bit.

Life’s for living, and as much as I love my work – and I do – I need to keep reminding myself that there’s more to it than that.

(Apologies to the person who tweeted that link last night – I opened it in my browser, but didn’t get around to reading it until earlier and have now forgotten who you are…)

lifestyleswork/life balanceworkstyles

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Adam is a lecturer, trainer and writer. He's been a blogger for over 20 years, and a journalist for more than 30. He lectures on audience strategy and engagement at City, University of London.

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