A Ramble About Writing and Side Gigs

My third day off in a row and have I done anything? Not really. Nothing other than spend money! I went shopping for a gift yesterday and ended up spending money on myself. LOL. What can I say - I lost weight and now I need new clothes! The best thing I bought yesterday was two new pairs of jeans in two sizes smaller than what I’ve been wearing over the last year. I’m pretty damn proud of myself. 30 lbs down and about 26 lbs to go to get to my goal weight (although I’m not sure if the goal weight will be the right weight but I figure I’ll know when I get there).

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Since summer has come to a close and I’m only working 4 days a week right now, I’ve been trying to decide what I want to do to fill my time.

Of course, writing is one of those options…but WHAT to write?

There is part of me that doesn’t want to go with one genre because I don’t think I can stick to one. But then there is the other part of me that doesn’t believe I can actually make money writing more than one genre. It would be hard to keep up with a consistent publishing schedule.

So, do I write the stuff I want to write under my own name (articles about/for women 40/50+ and fiction with strong 40/50+ characters) OR do I write the stuff that is under a pen name?

I can’t decide!

And then there is the life coaching thing….

I still kind of want to explore this as a possible career change/side gig. I really love the idea of helping people. Especially helping women my age because I know how hard it was for me - the whole peri-menopause/menopause thing, the loss of a spouse, and mostly figuring out how the hell to live my life purely for myself. Not focusing on kids or a partner.

So, I’d really like to be a positive part of people’s lives and help women figure out where to go from wherever they are.

I’m taking a Udemy course (just to get a feel for it) but I also have a consultation with an Oola rep tomorrow morning.

Oola is kind of an MLM business but it sells digital services and products. Some physical products, too. And I like the overall idea of it from what I’ve seen. But the money…I know there are costs involved. Besides a monthly fee I think reps need to maintain a PV - personal volume - and I hate being obligated to buy shit.

The plus side is that the training is included in monthly fees. But I don’t think the certification you get is ICF (International Coaching Federation) approved. And if I go ahead with this life coach business, I kind of want to have an official accreditation - at least at some point.

I guess I’ll see what the rep says tomorrow.

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You know I love journalling. It’s something that keeps me sane. So, last week, I opened up some journal files on my computer and found entries from one year ago.

Honestly, I forgot how bad it was in my head before I started medication for ADHD. I was trying so hard to run my freelance business but totally messing it up. And I couldn’t make a decision to save my life (but more important decisions than just what to write). And I was having so much anxiety.

I’m so grateful for everything I have now. Grateful that I didn’t have to fight for ADHD medication. Grateful that I live in a country where I can get an official diagnosis for free (although the waiting list is about a year, I am on it and I will get that diagnosis, even if it is just for my own peace of mind).

I’m grateful for a supportive partner who maybe doesn’t understand the things in my head or all the needs I have but he knows he doesn’t have to understand - he just needs to support me. I’m grateful for my ADHD buddies - my mom (not official but anyone who knows her and understands ADHD will totally agree that she has it), my daughter, my bestie. And grateful for the people who let me rant. My other bestie in Winnipeg, my MBFF (male best friend forever).

And I’m grateful to have a job that works well with my ADHD and who I am. In the past ten years, I’ve learned that serving tables is ideal for me. It keeps me engaged. I love the hustle. I love meeting people (I often tell people who sit in my section that they are not just my customers but my friends for the period of time they are there). And I know it is rare, but my boss’s totally understand my need for positive reinforcement. Yes, they will tell me if I do something wrong, but they also tell me when I do things right. They verbally show appreciation for what I do whether it is rocking a private party or staying late. And since words are my love language, that’s huge to me. I fully intend on staying there as long as I can.

The only reason I think of the side gig/possible career change is because I’m 52 years old and although I *might* be able to stay in this job until I retire (there are two servers at my job that are early/mid-60s! And they totally rock it every night!), there is also a chance that I might not be able to for various reasons. I’ve had plantar fasciitis in the past and that could come back. Or I could hurt myself and not be able to hustle around like I do now. So the side gig is back up.

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Anyway, this has been a long and rambly post and I’m going to end it here and go and do some work.

BTW - if you want to find out more about me or leave me a tip, you should go to Dani.Space and check out what’s going on there. 🙂