There have been some recent changes to my work and home life, and a few more expected in the near future. If one of my clients would come to me to ask about how to handle some changes, whether a move (for work or personal situation), an adjustment in the family structure (e.g. marriage, new baby, fostering or adoption, high-needs child, kids going off to college, divorce, or taking on care of aging parents), change in schooling or finances, or any other number of situations that could come up, I would tell them to be generous with themselves, with their time. Recognize that you will not get as much done or be as productive, even when some of that time is spent processing (in academic terms, this is often incorrectly identified as “doing nothing”). As a freelance writing support mentor, I know that these changes affect your ability to concentrate, to produce, and to process at higher levels and therefore that you need to adjust your expectations of what you can accomplish. All of this is true.
It is harder, of course, to implement this kind of generosity in myself as I go through a major move, and career and schooling transitions. I am trying to remind myself to be generous, to not judge or to mentally berate myself. It is hard. This is why it is so important to have a writing support mentor, someone else who can remind you when your expectations are unrealistic and should be toned down, but also someone who can help you find the place during your transitions when it is time to up your game again.
If you’d like to work with me as a writing coach/support mentor, or for freelance editing, e-mail me at: shayna.sheinfeld@gmail.com.