I've started 2024 in full-time work mode.
In terms of time it feels like the last time I was in full-on, full-time work back in mid 2018, 5.5 years ago.
This is because of a combination of my new job with NatCen, keeping up with the regular blog, and voluntary work, which is kind of like, well, work, just without the pay!
I started off last week with my first NatCen interview on Tuesday 2nd of Jan, and then more later in the week, and now that's in full swing.
The interviews are one thing, setting up appointments, driving, and admin add to the time, so it's taking up 2-3 days a week, with my next tranche of interviews set to drop today. It's what I expected though.
Add to this keeping up with the main blog, which I can work on for anywhere between 1 and 3 days a week, 1 is the minimum, 3 is better of course, but I was getting bored with that and so 1-1.5 days is good for now.
And then 1-2 days volunteering for Citizens Advice plus my other volunteering at the Cart Shed, that's actually MORE than 5 days a week!
No wonder I feel busy.
AND there's potentially another small job, maybe even 2 in the pipe-line, but for me 2024 is all about the dollar, so I'm up for it!
The real challenge is keeping going from 15.00 - 16.30 (I like to do a circuits session just before 17.00) - like I just got back from CA today at 15.20 and did the dreaded 'sit down with a cup of tea' which somehow wiped out 30 minutes, back on it now, doing bits and pieces!
Time to myself feels more precious...
I'm trying to look at this as a good thing... I've now got a couple of hours in the morning and then a few hours in the evening to do all non work related activities I want to do, and so there's less time to dick about.
I did a lot of dicking about the last five and half years, not being very productive, and TBH that's something I've wanted to change and now I'm kind of forced into it, which I think is a good thing, of course it doesn't feel like it, there's a level of mental resistance to it!
However, I am already more organised and productive, it's just a matter of getting used to it, I guess, used to my perfectly normal-hours chosen working life.
At least for 2024, I'll review the situation come Autumn and see if I need to get back into a re-dickified lifestyle in 2025, if I can afford it of course!
