Relentless

I often describe raising little people (two toddlers) as relentless.

Food. Questions. TV. No more TV. Ice cream. Vegetables. Playgrounds. Tantrums. One more book. One more drink. Hold my hand. Don’t talk to strangers. I need the potty… It went away… I NEED THE POTTY. Bedtime. Somehow always awake. Another book. Another drink. Mannnny more questions.

It’s awesome and I love it – and I sometimes… ok always, laugh at the Dinks (double-income-no-kids) who think they’re busy. Sweet darlings.

Today I was reflecting on my year just before having kids and realised that, actually, life was really busy.

That year was 2020 for me, the Covid year – but while people around me suddenly found themselves locked down at home with time to renovate the house or start a new hobby, I was self-employed – no downtime for me.

Luckily I had amazing clients, some of whom were essential services, so work continued or increased in some cases.

But the other stuff continued too – invoicing, accounting, marketing, standups, proposals… plus my home-office–my private, quiet workspace for around a decade–now had my wife in the seat right next to me (truly great, but too easy to get lost in daytime banter) as well as my late mum elsewhere in the house who stayed with us for much of lockdown.

Life as a self-employed, desk-bound, WFH business owner can be pretty non-stop. Add any variable (like a newly WFH spouse or a parent), and things can really snowball.

I don’t recall if I used the word ‘relentless’ back then, but on reflection it did seem that way at the time.

And today it made me realise that, while I strongly advocate for self-employment for anyone who has the inclination, it’s irresponsible to glance over that ‘other-work’ stuff that can make a workday feel never-ending.

I’d never talk anyone out of going self-employed, but I’d probably slap some gentle warnings on the label.