My intention for this month’s blog challenge is partly to examine how I manage the several roles and responsibilities that, together, comprise my life.
Today, I’ve been working in a couple of my ‘secondary’ roles. Every now and then, when I am asked, I do a spot of copy editing. Copy editing is what is often thought of as ‘proof-reading,’ – checking a manuscript for grammar, spelling, punctuation and stylistic details. This is something I love, and can’t help doing even when I haven’t been asked! Having read English for my first degree, I have a love for and intimacy with language, and can be rather pedantic about details. I am passionate, for example, about the correct use of semi-colons and commas.
It’s hard work, though. Working through a full length novel, word by word and space by space, making corrections and comments, feels like a mammoth task, especially at the beginning. I am a little more than half way through the book I am working on this week, and I am feeling the effects of hour upon hour of staring at the screen. It does, however, feel like ‘proper’ work, a little more than some of the things I do, especially the more fun aspects (have you noticed how often I talk about fun in connection with business?). It’s also rather lovely to have the opportunity to read a novel for work. How many people get to do that?
The other role I’ve been working in today is my English tutoring job. Again, because my first degree was English, I am passionate about passing on my love for words and literature, and have the privilege of working with young people from time to time. As you might expect, they hear a lot from me about grammar, style, spelling and punctuation. I love to explain the proper use of apostrophes and semi-colons! I also enjoy encouraging creative, independent thinking, which is one of the important aspects of studying English.
I feel I am really lucky to have a variety of different jobs in my ‘portfolio career.’ It can mean that I always feel I am neglecting something, just because I can only do one task at a time, but on the other hand I am never bored and I get to use a lot of my different skills and areas of knowledge.
It really helps to have a regular meditation practice. Mind Calm has helped me significantly with my productivity and efficiency and also helps me to let go of whatever I am not doing, when I’m not doing it. And Mind Calm theory teaches us that ‘a successful life is one that is loved by the person living it,’ so if I enjoy the variety of my challenges then that looks rather like success, doesn’t it?
If you juggle roles, what is your experience? Do you enjoy the variety or find it stressful? And if you have one full time occupation, does this suit you or would you like to have a more varied working life?
