some things don’t belong in your bedroom

So here it is… two weeks since I last wrote.

 

Ordinarily that wouldn’t be much of a problem, right? Write when you can, the world keeps spinnin’…

 

Except I promised to write weekly. And then a biiiiiiiiig project with lots of insane deadlines came up and I pushed everything to the wayside.

 

Everything.

 

My gym routine? Eh, I’ll get more done if I use that early morning hour to catch up.

 

My drawing class? Better finish up those last few emails to get a jump on tomorrow!

 

My rule about not doing work in bed/not bringing the phone in the bedroom?

 

BUT WHAT IF THEY NEED ME AT 1 AM?!!??!

 

And I’m paying for it now.

 

Don’t get me wrong… this isn’t a vent about launches or big clients or stress.

 

It’s more of a stream of conscious rant AT myself (and for your benefit) for having to re-learn things I THOUGHT I already knew.

 

That hour I spent at the gym in the morning? It gave me the stamina to power through long days and the mental clarity to knock out all kinds of tasks.

 

That two hours a week I spent on sketching gave me respite from the computer and helped me see the world in a whole new way, bringing freshness into my work.

 

That no-phone-in-the-bedroom rule allowed me to go to bed un-stressed and wake up without feeling pressured to OMG START WORK NOW.

 

And when it came down to crunch time, I let all my rituals fly out the window, rationalizing to myself that it’s only temporary, only until after this busy period is done.

 

And that, my friends, is how you burn out.

 

Even though it feels like you’re only giving a little in the name of productivity, it’s costing you a LOT.

 

There are no guarantees when it comes to burnout. The next time you burn out could be the last time. You might not recover from it.

 

So why take that chance just to eke out a few more emails or make that much more progress on your sales page?

 

Please please please don’t make my mistake.

 

Take care of yourself. ESPECIALLY when it’s crunch time.

 

That’s the only way you’ll ever be able to make a career out of this.

 

And every time you forget to do it…  make a new promise to yourself to take care of yourself.

 

Carve that lesson into stone and make it the rule of your life. You cannot feed someone else if your cupboards are bare.

 

Some things (like work) don’t belong in your bedroom. So kick them out and take back control, instead of letting work control you.

Your clients, your work, and your mind/body/spirit will thank you.

kickass-angie

ANGIE COLEE

If you’re an aspiring freelancer who’s working up the courage to leave the day job… good news! I’m sharing all the things I WISH I’d known before making the leap so that hopefully your journey goes a little more smoothly than mine.

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5 Comments

  1. Randy from CC on September 26, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    Posts based on personal experience are the most powerful… Thanks for sharing Angie.

    PS- I never knew Wonder Woman every had issues like this….

    • Angie on September 26, 2018 at 5:44 pm

      LOL funny thing is you’re not the only one to call me Wonder Woman lately… And that’s probably the exact opposite of how I feel on a daily basis.

      But you signed up for the bare-it-all Angie truth, so that’s what I’m gonna share!

      Thanks Randy, your words mean a lot.

  2. Wendy Gardner on September 27, 2018 at 3:56 am

    Oh boy.. this sounds so familiar.. just a bit more work.. THEN i will go fix some lunch… or THEN i will go walk around the block . and then blood sugar crashes and its chocolates etc.. really silly I should know this by age 49? And then it takes getting sick with a sinus infection or something energy sucking to go get some TLC.. when it would have been easier to top batteries up slow and steady and not leak it all out.

    • Angie on September 27, 2018 at 4:31 am

      Right? Here’s to learning the same lessons over and over. May it really stick this time!

  3. Lindsey Hayward on September 27, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    Great reminder for us all, and nice to see the intelligent insight into those “luxuries” we tend to put off. Thanks for the wisdom, Ang!

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