Chairlady’s Musings: November

“A quarter to exhausted” – Stacey Norman

I was wondering what to chat about this month and then driving from an impromptu taxi trip for my teenage daughter, interrupting my focus while trying to get to the 7 photoshoots I still have to edit over the next couple of days, when I heard Stacey say “a quarter to exhausted” on the radio it did make me smile wryly at the total truth of the statement.

I can honestly say I am certainly feeling a quarter to exhausted at the moment. I am incredibly grateful for all the work I had in October and the shoots coming up in November and December, but this year I am feeling the exhaustion a bit earlier than previous years. And knowing I can’t really take much of a break, that is exactly what I am going to do, otherwise I will not be worth much to my upcoming clients. Oh yes, and to do it guilt-free too.

Another comment made by a wonderful woman I am following, ties in with the above. Kathleen Cameron, Chief Wealth Creator (what an awesome title!). She said, “Stress is not something we have but something we do.” I had to mull that over a bit, as it is so easy to just say, “ I am so stressed. This is so stressful. This or that is stressing me out”. As if stress has its own personality and has got it in for us. But I understand now that maybe it is just in the way we arrange our lives and our diaries. We fill our plates too high with responsibilities. I certainly do, especially this time of the year. I try and accommodate every client and squeeze in one more client (like the client I am photographing the night before we are going away for 10 days, so I know my standard is to give people their photos ASAP, so I will edit through the night to get them ready for her) …. And here I thought I was good at saying NO. OK, I am getting better at saying NO..LOL! But it is the reality of working for yourself with no guaranteed salary coming in over the Festive Season, and I mean, there are presents to be bought and wine to be had and merry to be made!

So as we are all taking on this last stretch before we are “officially” done for the year my wish for you is that you will find moments to take some breaths, rest just a little bit, take one or two items off the plate, or at least don’t add to that plate and practise “no” a bit more. And now at 16:50 on Friday afternoon,  I am home alone for a few hours and  I am closing this computer and taking the night off. Tomorrow is another day…. Let’s be kinder to ourselves over the next few weeks.