Friday, September 17, 2004
Mid-month update.
Have you ever felt that you were just lying lethargically on the side of the road like a dead dog while life passed you buy?? That's how I've been feeling lately, like the life is just sucking out of me. Melodramatic?? Maybe. But it is how I feel. Stephen King uses a word called "slippage" to describe this state. I think it's accurate in an intuitive manner. I mean, one day you're lying in bed, can't get out, and then before you know it, it's morning and you have to drag your ass out of bed to work, wondering where the weekend went. It's Friday, but can you tell right now I'm feeling pretty helpless.
It's not that I haven't been doing anything, but that I feel like I could be doing so much more. I'm just tired. I sit down at my computer when I get home, but I can't even think of anything. I just keep thinking that I'll save it for when I have more energy. Then I pop on the tv because my brain is just screaming for an escape. Or a book. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm becoming depressed. I'm thinking of seeing someone. I'm sure that my employment situtation and lack of safety net set up is contributing to all of this. I just don't know what I can do to speed it up, except make more money at the side business, which is currently not happening. I haven't been completely dormant, though. Here is my progress for the last couple weeks:
1) I met with the financial advisor for my initial consultation. Unfortunately, I don't think he's the right guy for me, and I think he thinks the same way. He kept using the word "savvy", as in, "you're much more savvy than most people I meet with". Personally I don't think I need a financial advisor at this point in time. Everyone who is geared to my level of wealth doesn't appear to have much to offer me. Perhaps when I'm much richer, I'll need someone who knows more about more complicated vehicles of insurance and investments.
2) I had lunch with a guy from my networking group. I have to say this guy, Art, is a real dynamo. He's very dedicated to truly making networking connections, and I think that's great. He really made me feel like a slug in some ways since I've been pretty inactive, but he was very supportive, having gone through what I'm doing right now. Anyway, today he called me with an interesting opportunity. He knows the executive director of a nonprofit that is conducting a health fair at a nearby college campus. This person would be willing to trade an actual booth in return for a donation to the foundation. Of course I would need to take care of Art too, but I would have a chance to actually sell something, and also business people would be there that I could expose to Chance Sports. The trouble is that I am supposed to go up to Massachusetts that weekend, which is a real bummer. I'm about to go home and break it to my boyfriend to gauge his reaction to me missing the weekend. I'd also have to come up with some topical shirts and get them printed, magnets would be close to impossible, knowing my history with this supplier :( I also need to contact one of the people that I met back at the ISS show and find out how to contact this one supplier that doesn't publish its phone number (many don't; they want you to have ASI membership but I don't, so I don't have access to that particular listing. But they'll still work with you if you can prove that you're a legitimate company and produce invoices, which I can - I technically had enough business so far this year to qualify for ASI membership - but it's not cost effective.)
3) I've been looking for freelance/part time gigs. The idea would be to transistion into a part time gig so that I don't have to worry so much about going completely broke and - if I have to dip into my slush fund - to deplete it more slowly. So far, the event marketing field looks very good. Lots of freelance gigs that don't last long. Also maybe a part-time editorial job. We'll see. I haven't checked Guru.com in a long time. It might be time to do so again. Naturally thinking 12 months ahead is very difficult for some would-be employers, but the idea is to start early so I can get to know some of them and forge some connections.
I have updated my pick to an easy-to-read business book (not a lot of those out there) called Ideas Are Free. The book is about companies who create good, serious systems for their lowest-level employees to contribute ideas, however small, towards the success of the company. The book puts forth some great examples from all industry sectors and I think that anyone, especially CEOs, need to read this book. If you are a non-managerial or low-level managerial employee, you should read the book too. Maybe you can learn to manage up. (For more info on managing up, read How to Work for an Idiot, a previous pick of mine.
Anyway, time to go home. This is a miserable month for me in terms of my full-time job. For the first time in nearly two years, I'm looking at not actually making my goal. But hopefully I'll find a way to pull it out.... I really am not ready to leave this safety net yet.
Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow!
It's not that I haven't been doing anything, but that I feel like I could be doing so much more. I'm just tired. I sit down at my computer when I get home, but I can't even think of anything. I just keep thinking that I'll save it for when I have more energy. Then I pop on the tv because my brain is just screaming for an escape. Or a book. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm becoming depressed. I'm thinking of seeing someone. I'm sure that my employment situtation and lack of safety net set up is contributing to all of this. I just don't know what I can do to speed it up, except make more money at the side business, which is currently not happening. I haven't been completely dormant, though. Here is my progress for the last couple weeks:
1) I met with the financial advisor for my initial consultation. Unfortunately, I don't think he's the right guy for me, and I think he thinks the same way. He kept using the word "savvy", as in, "you're much more savvy than most people I meet with". Personally I don't think I need a financial advisor at this point in time. Everyone who is geared to my level of wealth doesn't appear to have much to offer me. Perhaps when I'm much richer, I'll need someone who knows more about more complicated vehicles of insurance and investments.
2) I had lunch with a guy from my networking group. I have to say this guy, Art, is a real dynamo. He's very dedicated to truly making networking connections, and I think that's great. He really made me feel like a slug in some ways since I've been pretty inactive, but he was very supportive, having gone through what I'm doing right now. Anyway, today he called me with an interesting opportunity. He knows the executive director of a nonprofit that is conducting a health fair at a nearby college campus. This person would be willing to trade an actual booth in return for a donation to the foundation. Of course I would need to take care of Art too, but I would have a chance to actually sell something, and also business people would be there that I could expose to Chance Sports. The trouble is that I am supposed to go up to Massachusetts that weekend, which is a real bummer. I'm about to go home and break it to my boyfriend to gauge his reaction to me missing the weekend. I'd also have to come up with some topical shirts and get them printed, magnets would be close to impossible, knowing my history with this supplier :( I also need to contact one of the people that I met back at the ISS show and find out how to contact this one supplier that doesn't publish its phone number (many don't; they want you to have ASI membership but I don't, so I don't have access to that particular listing. But they'll still work with you if you can prove that you're a legitimate company and produce invoices, which I can - I technically had enough business so far this year to qualify for ASI membership - but it's not cost effective.)
3) I've been looking for freelance/part time gigs. The idea would be to transistion into a part time gig so that I don't have to worry so much about going completely broke and - if I have to dip into my slush fund - to deplete it more slowly. So far, the event marketing field looks very good. Lots of freelance gigs that don't last long. Also maybe a part-time editorial job. We'll see. I haven't checked Guru.com in a long time. It might be time to do so again. Naturally thinking 12 months ahead is very difficult for some would-be employers, but the idea is to start early so I can get to know some of them and forge some connections.
I have updated my pick to an easy-to-read business book (not a lot of those out there) called Ideas Are Free. The book is about companies who create good, serious systems for their lowest-level employees to contribute ideas, however small, towards the success of the company. The book puts forth some great examples from all industry sectors and I think that anyone, especially CEOs, need to read this book. If you are a non-managerial or low-level managerial employee, you should read the book too. Maybe you can learn to manage up. (For more info on managing up, read How to Work for an Idiot, a previous pick of mine.
Anyway, time to go home. This is a miserable month for me in terms of my full-time job. For the first time in nearly two years, I'm looking at not actually making my goal. But hopefully I'll find a way to pull it out.... I really am not ready to leave this safety net yet.
Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow!
