Work shy

Silence descends on the house. The kids are back at school, the dog has been walked and I am finally free to get on with some work. For the latter part of the Easter holiday, I have been fantasising about having a quiet morning to return to my book project. With all the banter and child-noise (screams of glee, screams of pain as one pushes the other off the sofa), I have hardly been able to concentrate on anything more challenging than following a recipe or loading the washing machine. Now I can lay down my wooden spoon and immerse myself in work...

Finding my way around a keyboard again!

Except suddenly I am at a loss. Three weeks out of the normal routine and I feel unable to pick up the threads of life at home sans enfants. It's like part of my brain muscle has atrophied with the lack of use. Or put more plainly, I've lost my mojo. A harmonious working life has its own momentum and once the pattern has broken, it's hard to re-start the machine.

If I was working in an office, of course, I would have no choice. I would be fed back into the system like paper into a shredder. With the luxury of working at home, comes the need for extreme self-discipline. I have to resist the siren-call of surfaces that need wiping or bedrooms begging to be tidied. Procrastination is not the freelancer's friend.

So today, I am gently re-introducing myself to blog posts, review-writing and book editing. With a mug of coffee by my side, I am letting my fingers re-aquaint themselves with the keyboard. There's no rush, I tell myself. Life is a journey, not a race. I am in a privileged position - for me, work is a pastime rather than an obligation. Be glad, be grateful. Re-boot, gulp down some more caffeine and wait for the cogs to turn once more.