When my last project wrapped in July, and the confirmed and signed new projects won't fully begin till next February, I thought I was done for the year, and could solely concentrate on training the dog. Heh. Then a flurry of emails resulted in a sudden (welcomed) flood of work in August that has kept me busy. These will wrap at the end of the month.
I had a bit of an issue with scheduling. These pieces of work require more than just churning out translations and pieces of analysis. I've had to turn up at meetings, briefings and facilitation sessions. It has been stressful trying to juggle work hours and caring for a dog prone to paw-chomping and separation anxiety. I was hard pressed to even squeeze out time to meet friends for leisurely meals or coffee! We had to do many meet-and-run dates. Now that the projects are winding down and the dog finally gets that she will be alone for a few hours in the day, I can breathe a little easier.
By God's grace, I've had (and will have) a steady stream of paid projects coming my way. The best thing, these paymasters are prompt (within 30 days) and aren't the type who would ask for a 'discount' or bargain for extra paperwork, etc. These projects have been challenging but very fun, satisfying a part of the academic brain that should be kept well-oiled. The nature of freelance work is unpredictable, and every year, I can never quite tell if I'll hit my ideal annual income. If I do, I count my blessings. For six years now, I've been incredibly lucky to be able to secure sustained work, and merrily grumble about having to pay income tax.
I had a bit of an issue with scheduling. These pieces of work require more than just churning out translations and pieces of analysis. I've had to turn up at meetings, briefings and facilitation sessions. It has been stressful trying to juggle work hours and caring for a dog prone to paw-chomping and separation anxiety. I was hard pressed to even squeeze out time to meet friends for leisurely meals or coffee! We had to do many meet-and-run dates. Now that the projects are winding down and the dog finally gets that she will be alone for a few hours in the day, I can breathe a little easier.
By God's grace, I've had (and will have) a steady stream of paid projects coming my way. The best thing, these paymasters are prompt (within 30 days) and aren't the type who would ask for a 'discount' or bargain for extra paperwork, etc. These projects have been challenging but very fun, satisfying a part of the academic brain that should be kept well-oiled. The nature of freelance work is unpredictable, and every year, I can never quite tell if I'll hit my ideal annual income. If I do, I count my blessings. For six years now, I've been incredibly lucky to be able to secure sustained work, and merrily grumble about having to pay income tax.
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| After one such morning of killing the brain cells, it felt great to take a break for lunch, and coffee at platform.. |
2 comments:
I shall wait patiently, Imp! Ahem.. *Still waiting*
we need to find a time! breakfasts and lunches work better for me than dinners! need to see if it suits your schedule too!
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