Personal and Professional Balance

I write a lot in here about the balancing of freelance seo writing and your personal life. This last week, I was again faced with this situation...but this time in a much more negative way.

I had a family crisis, and it pulled me out of commission for 4 days. It ended today, and now I am way behind.

A personal crisis can pull anyone out of a routine, but as a freelancer, this can be deadly. Gig-smashing. It is too early to tell if I did any damage, be it temporary or permanent. To the gigs I mean - the family is fine.

Priorities Depend on Circumstances
One thing I am finding more often this year, is that priorities are really dependent on the surrounding circumstances. Last week, my family was the most important thing in my schedule. This, sadly, is not always the case. More often, they know I need to keep working, and don't have near the time I would prefer to simply hang out. They're good that way.

But when the priorities shift a bit, it is important to take the time to really identify why it is you do what you do. Keeping control is sometimes as easy as articulating your direction.

I stay true to my business ideals, which is why most of my clients last for a long time...many times, moving from job-to-job themselves. My priorities are therefore handed to me, based on serving my ideals in being a freelance seo writer. And these ideals are pretty simple:

1. Offer creative, solid work with a focus on the ROI
2. Be honest, and lead with respect
3. Don't miss deadlines
4. Communicate
5. Don't miss deadlines

So you can see how this last week is wrenching with my own business ideals - by concentrating on family, I missed a bunch of deadlines. A shift in priorities.

Balancing the Personal and the Professional
For me, much of the lure of freelance seo copywriting is an ability to allow shifts in priorities. My family always comes first - they are why I work. But some gigs don't allow you enough time to be with your family as much as you might like. For me, freelancing must do it.

While it is true, this is a cool perk of freelancing, it also makes it less stable than other options, like a day gig. So you want to know whether or not you are cut out for this,what your personal thresholds are.

Ultimately, balancing personal and professional efforts is an ongoing dance. On a tightrope. With greasy slippers. Juggling weights and french fries.

Be prepared.