The Freelance Chronicles #7

This month seems to have been the month of organisation. When I first started the road to self-employment, I set myself up with my seven-year-old laptop at my dining room table and got stuck into it. I made the dining room look like it was always in a bit of a state and my fur babies made one too many appearances in my Zoom meetings. I needed my own space.

I started chipping away at purchasing the things I needed to make my office as inviting and lovely as possible. I bought a new laptop that moved faster than snail’s pace. I ordered a gorgeous desk handmade by a lovely craftswoman in Auckland. I ordered a secondhand rug for my office chair. With the help of my mum and stepdad we moved shelves from one room to another. We hinged a door to the empty door frame to keep the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee out all day and then I moved my baby plants onto the shelf behind me, and my lovely office space was born.

I can honestly say having this space has made me more motivated, productive, and excited about making the big commute down the hallway each morning.

I’ve had quite a few realisations about my mental health and overall wellbeing this month, too. We were allowed back to gyms this month, and I’ve realised how much taking a break that gets your body moving and active is so fantastic. I did one Body Combat class and came back and did another hour’s work one evening! That wouldn’t usually happen without the boost of endorphins running through my body.

I’ve also noticed how much more I am thriving and advancing in my career while working for myself. I’m someone that feels cramped and confined by being micromanaged and feeling like I have no say in what my job entails. But that’s not how I feel any longer! The way I’m working now sees me have a huge amount of creative freedom to create high-quality engaging outputs for my clients, and I’m loving seeing the positive responses coming back to my inbox and over coffee catch-ups, which we’re also allowed to do again.

Speaking of coffee catch-ups, if you’ve been considering getting an extra helping hand with content (digital editing, proofreading, blog creation, social media calendars, and more), drop me a line and let’s find a time to chat! lara@luu.co.nz