I love what I do. I am a writer, a solitary profession by nature, and 95% of the time I don’t mind being alone. Freelancing allows me to do the work that I want, when and how I want to do it. However, only a few weeks into my new career field and I’ve discovered a snag.
Okay, so “snag” might not be the correct word. Let’s say instead that I have realized something that I didn’t plan for and think of previously. When you work alone, there is no one there to cover your ass when you need it. No, that’s not some giant revelation, but it’s impactful nonetheless.
This past week I have been deathly ill. My special abilities have included: coughing up a lung, lying in bed all day, blowing my nose, and other more graphic abilities that I’m too polite to mention here. I was so sick that the idea of concentrating long enough to create any type of content was torturous and not going to happen. So I lay in bed all week and I had to let everything slip.
There were no Kevo Writing blogs, no social media posts, no work proposals, nothing. When I was out of commission so was Kevo Writing. It was a revelation, although it shouldn’t have been.
When you’re sick at a typical job, you face different issues. You’re forced to use your sick days or PTO, and your goal is to get back to work quickly just so you don’t have to take more time off than you want. However, although your work may not get done, the company still keeps moving forward. Even if you’re not there, your company is not going to come to a complete halt; you have coworkers, managers, etc. who will make sure the cogs keep turning.
As a solopreneur and a freelance writer, I don’t have to worry about PTO—my CEO is completely okay with me taking off as much time as I need—but I hate being sick because it means that everything is on hold. I’m actually still struggling with sickness, but I can’t afford to take any more time off because I don’t want Kevo Writing to suffer. I need to get contracts and earn a living. When I’m sick, there’s no such thing as paid time off anymore.
So here I am, sitting at my computer, forcing my brain to stay on track when it doesn’t want to, and writing a blog, that’s probably not that coherent because my sick brain is not as intelligent as my non-sick brain. It’s an interesting dilemma and serves to illustrate that no situation can ever be perfect. There is a give and take relationship in every career, every path. You just have to choose what you’re willing to live with and what you’re willing to live without.
I wouldn’t change my career as a writer for anything. Sickness be damned.
