Ours can be a very lonely profession. Especially if we live on our own or are tied to the home as parents or carers. And jobs that ping into our inbox at unexpected times can make us change our plans and batten down the hatches until we meet the deadline. Because we need the money, don’t want to disappoint the client or cannot find anyone else to take the work on for us. And perhaps also because we’ve become workaholics.
Recent trends in translation have included renting office space with other freelancers (not necessarily translators) and co-working days with more local colleagues to stave off feelings of boredom and loneliness. But both these measures still involve work.
Just before Xmas I received a motivational email from Simon Sinek. He’s been nominated by SUCCESS Magazine as one of the 25 successful people who’ll help change your life in 2018. I’ve been getting his messages for a while. Most of them are inspiring, although I don’t relate much to the ones on leadership. But this particular thought was rather sobering:
If we push people away because of work, then when we’re finally free, there will be no friends left … just plenty of time for more work.
A few days later a Christmas card arrived from an old university friend I haven’t seen for a while. She told me her New Year’s resolution was to see friends and asked if we could meet up halfway between our respective coastal towns.
This idea is so simply splendid that I’ve decided to adopt it as my resolution too. It’s time for me to leave the computer at home and get out and enjoy myself as often as I possibly can. To reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Because being active on social media doesn’t equate to having a social life. And when I get back to the grind, I might find I’m in a more positive frame of mind and that my translations flow better as a result.
Whatever you decide to do in 2018 workwise, I hope your personal life will bring you immense satisfaction and happiness. Wishing you all the best and thanks for reading.
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When you are not gadding about catching up with old friends, you can always Skype, and have a bit of a conversation. I believe I am next free on the 12th! 🙂
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Sounds like a plan. As it’s a Friday, I can usually be free in the afternoons. Let me know what suits you. 🙂
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Hear, hear, Nikki! Having just taken 10 days off over the Christmas period to relax and enjoy seeing family and friends, it definitely does us good to switch off and step out in the real world for a while. It’s very easy to let work take over and I know I’ve been guilty of immersing myself in work in the past to hide the pain of a horrible divorce, but making the effort to see friends is so worthwhile. Wishing you all the best for 2018 and enjoy making time for yourself for a change 🙂
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Thanks, Claire, same to you. I managed to see some family and friends over Xmas as well. We were away for almost a week. If I thought it was realistic, I’d plan to see people every weekend this year. I might give it a go, though and see what happens.
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So true Nikki.
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Dear Nikki,
As always, wise words. There is no money in the world that pays for our lost time, health, friends/family or anything of real value in life. And we, as lonely workers, must be extra careful with how we spend our time and make an effort to socialize in real life, especially in times when being busy and workhalic is depicted as something to be proud of.
Btw, where do you live? I’ll visit Europe in May, and it would be great if you lived in any of my destinations, so I can finally meet you in person. 🙂
All the best in 2018!
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Thanks very much! Happy New Year to you too. It would be great to meet up when you are over here. I’m based in Bournemouth, but I could probably get up to London or somewhere else relatively nearby at a weekend.
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That would be lovely, Nikki! I’ll go to London, among other places in other countries. Probably around May 20-23. Let’s keep in touch and see. 🙂
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Great article, Nikki! We can very easily get used to sitting on our own in front of our computers and forgetting how important real human interaction is.
Renting office space and attending co-working events don’t make sense for many of us who have to deal with school runs, etc.
Your resolution to get out more and see friends is wonderful, though I’m not sure I could manage every weekend! But you’re always welcome here – you know where I live 🙂
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I’m going to give every weekend (or at least every week) a shot.
Would love to see you again, but don’t worry I won’t be turning up on your doorstep as I have a terrible sense of direction and a memory like a sieve 🙂
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Sounds like a good resolution, Nikki! If you fancy venturing further down the coast, you are welcome to meet up with me and other translators in Plymouth/Devon 🙂
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Plymouth is quite a long way for me, but perhaps we could organise a get-together halfway somewhere (Lyme Regis, Sidmouth?) if others are interested.
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That’s a good idea! There are a few translators in and around Exeter too, so they might be interested!
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Let’s see if we can make it happen.
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Simon Says, meet friends! 🙂
Good luck with your resolution, Nikki!
As for Simon, he seems to be innocent of having read Schopenhauer’s thinnest work, Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life. No one has yet disproved that the wiser, the loner. And the better.
Also, Simon made my day writing, “… just plenty of time for more work”. I laughed my guts out. He should have seen _me_ work. “Plenty of time for MORE PROCRASTINATION, my sweetest pastime! :-))
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Hi Nikki! Only now have I read this post, and I loved it. I do wish we lived closer to each other, as I’d love to share a cup of tea/coffee/whatever! Big hugs from a sunshiny Buenos Aires!
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That would be great. Let me know if you are ever over this way, Nora.
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