I’ve been thinking about the concept of balance for quite a while now – and I do mean “concept” because it’s something I understand but is still somewhat ethereal, something I’ve never quite mastered. When I look back on my working life I’ve always juggled several things at once. The reasons for doing this have usually been different; I’m either working hard to save up for something (usually travel), or am forced to do so just to make ends meet, or because it’s simply the nature of the sort of work I do.
When I was younger, I worked at a law firm and also taught English, literacy and/or Spanish classes at the same time. At one point I even worked in a pet supply store on the weekends too! In Peru I owned a restaurant for a while, where I did the shopping at the market each day, cleaned the restaurant and bathroom, helped with food preparation, waited tables, and kept the books. I also taught at an English language academy, gave private classes, and did as many translations as came my way. A few years later, I owned a bar/café while working as a full-time, in-house translator, and took translations on the side. (Here again, owning that business meant taking part in every aspect of it: creating the atmosphere, buying supplies, doing the banking, bartending, serving customers until the wee hours of the morning, etc. etc., along with my business partner Lynda, a fellow Canadian and friend).
Last year, I had all the duties of running my own freelance business plus the actual work that I do in that business! Because the nature of freelance work is often feast or famine, when there’s a feast you simply dig in and take everything you’re offered, storing up for those times when famine arrives. I also have a hard time saying “no” to my favorite clients. They’re favorites for a reason: I like the work I’m given, we’ve developed a good relationship, their deadlines are reasonable, pay is decent, and there’s a sense of reciprocal loyalty.
As well, part of being a successful freelancer is not to put all your eggs in one basket: you need to have as many clients as you can reasonably handle so that if one should take their business away for any reason, you won’t be left in the lurch.
Juggling all of this, however, can mean that you’re working seven days a week and up to sixteen hours a day. I love my work and identify with what I do, but it’s no way to LIVE for a prolonged period of time. Friendships and outside activities start to fall away and then when the famine, or even just a lean diet, comes along, I’m left floundering. I don’t know what to do without my work. For the moment I’m trying to enjoy my reduced calorie intake and keep in mind how good it feels not to be overwhelmed by the pressures of multiple deadlines, the stress of knowing I need to do my absolute best on each one to keep my clients happy and my pride in what I do. When the eventual glut begins, I’m going to need to take a breath, remember the concept of balance and find a way to pick and choose.
