I am on holiday. But as any self-employed/freelancer knows, that doesn’t really mean that I’m not working. It just means that instead of my desk looking out over suburban London gardens, this week my desk has a view of a giant agave and if I look to my left, the sea. In fact I’ve done quite well adjusting to the new holiday paradigm that when I woke up this morning I had no idea it was Wednesday and that my blog needed feeding. So, sorry folks, today I’m dialling it in a bit.
What I’m working on
It begins with G and ends with DPR. With the deadline so close I can’t ignore just how much work I’ve still got to do to get compliant. At least now (having done my data audit) I have a realistic appreciation for just how much needs doing, and it’s a bit daunting! After the Design Trust webinar last week I took the plunge and bought Lesley Cooley’s ‘Small business GDPR pack (for solopreneurs)’ and am finding it incredibly useful. It may seem like quite an investment, but I think it’s worth it to ensure that I meet my obligations, legally, and that I live up to the transparency and trust expectations of my clients and customers. Do check it out.
What I’m reading
No holiday would be complete without a stack of books on the bedside table. On the go so far – a book about orange farming in 1960s America called Oranges by John McPhee and Neil Gaiman’s new Norse Mythology. My best holiday read, which I recommend to anyone who will listen, is Skyfaring by Mark Vanhoenacker. It’s an absolutely beautiful and poetic account of flying, and all that entails, by a commercial pilot. You should know that I am a nervous flyer and yet this book is so lovingly written, describing the wonder of what it means to fly, that I almost felt excited to fly again. Almost!
What I’m listening to
Mostly jazz in the evenings. During the day I enjoy the random sounds of the town and sea that float up from down the hill. So many lawnmowers today, and the odd boat honking. Twice a day I’m also listening to the guided meditations in this book ‘Mindfulness: a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world’ as part of the 8 week course. How is it going, you ask? Hard to say, but just the act of spending time trying to be more present feels like a win.
What I’m doing
The pool is just a tad chilly at 22 degrees, so most mornings instead of a dip I’m doing some yoga. I started a daily yoga practice about 5 weeks ago after some seriously bad neck pain and I’ve found it helps. Not only that, but I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would, and relish having some quiet time to myself first thing. There are more yoga teachers on youtube than you could possibly ever need, and I suffer greatly from decision paralysis, so I went with one of the first people I found when I was searching for ‘yoga for back pain’. Luckily SarahBeth does a great video even if you’re not in pain, and her calm, straightforward instructions are easy for a beginner to follow. It’s a subjective thing, but I would recommend her channel to all. I’m currently doing her Month of Yoga 30 day challenge; it’s going well.
What are you up to at the moment? Is work stealing your focus or are you able to find some time for ‘me’ activities that balance you?