Two Habits.

The two things I’ll be forever grateful to my 23-year-old self for instigating.

I am occasionally asked for advice. On various things, but mainly how to get your first job, how to promote, what pen to buy, that sort of thing.

But over time two things have stood out as the most important things to pay attention to, for ANYONE working freelance. At the end of the year, I reach a certain ‘milestone’ birthday, and these are the two single habits I’m most grateful I instigated a quarter of a century ago. It’s time to write them down. If you’ve ever asked me for advice, here’s probably the most important piece I could give you.

One.

When I was 15, I walked to school and biked everywhere because my boyfriend lived a few miles away up a hill. A couple of years later, the new boyfriend ALSO lived several miles away up a hill: if I wanted a social life, I had to get pedalling.

When I moved away to college, I walked everywhere or took the bus. This walking, combined with carrying lots of stuff, ensured my legs and lungs stayed strong, even though a more or less constant state of deadline-driven anxiety kept my body weight low, compromised further by the odd minor breakdown due to ‘My Creative Life Is Over’! or ‘I just know my best work is behind me!!’ dramas, when my body decided it just couldn’t eat, even though I wanted to.