Starting over...

ladymay

WTMA, This is a quiet week! :rotfl: As much as I enjoy working all the time, I still find it a novelty to be able to see all my family regularly and I'm making the most of them all. I'm just so grateful things are starting to work out.

ladymay

Well, yesterday was interesting... I ended up going on a date with a lovely guy who I think I'll be seeing again!

Plans for today:

- Go to the Donkey Sanctuary :j
- Email agents
- Pay subs
- Update finances

Have a great Saturday everyone!

UncannyScot

Looking good missus

Enjoying your updates and positivity.

ladymay

Thanks Uncanny! Hope you and pooch are keeping well.

I've finally sat down with March's list and we're already a week through April - I no longer understand time, how it works, and why it's going so fast :rotfl:

March

Work
- promo video YES! This is done, I put it up Thursday night and it's on nearly 2000 views so just waiting for the bookings to roll in (if only!)
- research agencies further and showcases I have a list of people to contact, that needs to be done ASAP
- learn 10 new songs for vintage act I've learned a few, not sure it's 10 though...
- call 100 new homes This just hasn't happened, I just don't have the time to concentrate on this right now
- follow up on every home I've contacted so far Again, I just keep running out of time for this
- start putting together non-vintage act Set lists are done for this, now I have to buy the tracks and get learning!
- research social media and increase engagement This is ongoing and not as hard or boring as I thought. Engagement on FB has massively increased, I'm now looking at focussing on LinkedIn as a source of corporate work
- PLI and union membership Still not done
- book in four gigs DONE
- research where similar acts are performing locally and nationally Not done yet, ran out of time

Writing
- look into children's publishers Not done
- look into joining local children's writers group Need to pay my subs then I can start going to events
- write down basic premise for new story Done, but now it's on paper I'm not sure I like it..

Life / health
- work out 10 times Done
- keep going over and over finances Done, things are looking generally positive
- go to my therapy appointment Done
- rejig flat with Mum and put into storage or sell non-essentials This is a painfully slow and ongoing process
- look into selling/swapping desktop for laptop Between being away and having tech issues I've haven't managed to get this sorted yet

Considering I only had six nights at home last month, I did pretty well. But I really need to focus my port time when I'm on the ship and make the most of all the wifi hotspots so I can keep going with the work. Not having regular fast internet is what's slowing me down atm, and while at time this (among other things) frustrates me with my job, I have to remember it's paying the bills and I can't have everything I want right now - more's the pity!

Mentally I've had a couple of big anxiety spikes but generally things are starting to calm down a little - I have a second assessment for my anxiety on Monday afternoon and I'm feeling really positive about being able to manage it with help

Now to write the very late April list...

ladymay

Work

- Call and follow up emails for all local and national agents
- Download 100 songs
- Learn 20 new songs (VERY ambitious)
- Look into where jazz acts are performing locally
- Design and print new flyers and banners
- Look into wedding and vintage fairs, and where might have spots later this year

I think, realistically, I need to stop worrying about the nursing homes side of the business. For a gig at a wedding or holiday park, I can charge up to five times more and while I love my work in nursing homes, it's so much more work for less money Now I'm looking at my finances and potentially saving for a mortgage, it's 'head over heart' time...

Life

- Surveys and cash back
- Keep on with my finances and budgets
- Find out if I get the balance transfer card
- Look into Flexi savings account and LISA
- Look into switching bank account
- Cancel Spotify
- Work out 10 times
- Look to see if there's a local Toastmasters group
- Continue to work hard, but not to the point of increasing my anxiety!
- Buy wardrobe
- Sell computer and buy cheaper replacement
- Sell all the tat in our flat!
- Celebrate my birthday!

This list will inevitably be added to in due course

UncannyScot

Jazz??? seriously??? isn't that just a bunch of musicians all playing whatever they like regardless of what anyone else is playing??? :rotfl:

Sorry, I just don't get Jazz, at all... believe me, I've tried...
I know a lot of muso friends who rave about it though...
However, they don't get my love of progressive rock / metal like TesseracT, Tool, Opeth or gods help them Rush...
One thing we all agree on though is that our music is the soundtrack of our lives

ladymay

UncannyScot wrote: »

Jazz??? seriously??? isn't that just a bunch of musicians all playing whatever they like regardless of what anyone else is playing??? :rotfl:

Sorry, I just don't get Jazz, at all... believe me, I've tried...
I know a lot of muso friends who rave about it though...
However, they don't get my love of progressive rock / metal like TesseracT, Tool, Opeth or gods help them Rush...
One thing we all agree on though is that our music is the soundtrack of our lives

Cheeky so and so :rotfl: I'm old school jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Nat King Cole are my favourites. But improvised jazz can be awful, I'll agree with you on that one!

Had a lovely (but not very MSE) couple of days in London with friends and I'm pretty much packed and ready to go back to work in the morning. Absolutely shattered and I can't believe my week off is over already I've been told I have to train up a new manager this week, which is obviously part of the job but means adding more hours to my already-very-long week and takes away precious time from my music. Ah well...

Had my second assessment for my anxiety today and they've decided to refer me for cognitive behavioural therapy Things are starting to calm down but I'm delighted to be getting sorted so my immediate response whenever something minor happens isn't a panic attack!

Right, time to relax and head for an early night!

ladymay

Up and at 'em, boys!

Packed and ready to go, quick brekkie with the mothership first though. This week has flown and I really need to sort out my list while I'm away - there's just no time!!

DebtFreeDuo

I haven't managed to have a full read through but had a quick read through, how exciting about a potential date number 2! It sounds like you're doing well and hopefully being referred for CBT will help you massively. I will be back soon for a full update soon, I just have so much to keep on top of with my exams fast approaching!

ladymay

Evening all!

What a long fortnights it's been on the ship - lots of swells and delays and sleep-deprived passengers and crew - but I had a stellar team on board and we got through it :j And now I'm back home until next Tuesday.

Some good news - I got approved for a 28 month 0% balance transfer card so my little CC debt can be shifted to there while I start saving. I'm thinking about moving over to First Direct - I know they've stopped the £125 bonus but I've been eyeing up a Fitbit (one of their new non-cash bonuses0) for a while and their 5% linked savings account looks just about perfect right now.

The thing with the lovely guy has fizzled out somewhat. While he's nice and all, I've got so much to do on every week off that I don't think it's really worth pursuing anything with him.

Just looking over my April list - what a RIOT I was thinking I'd fit all this in!
Work

- Call and follow up emails for all local and national agents I've started this but it's a gradual process. Getting some more local interest though!
- Download 100 songs EPIC FAIL
- Learn 20 new songs (VERY ambitious) ANOTHER EPIC FAIL
- Look into where jazz acts are performing locally This is to be done this week
- Design and print new flyers and banners I was hoping to have done this by now, but I ran out of time
- Look into wedding and vintage fairs, and where might have spots later this year Ongoing

Life

- Surveys and cash back Ongoing
- Keep on with my finances and budgets Must sort this tomorrow
- Find out if I get the balance transfer card YES!
- Look into Flexi savings account and LISA To do this week
- Look into switching bank account To do this week
- Cancel Spotify I forgot, another @9.99 out of my Irish account
- Work out 10 times I'm there or thereabouts
- Look to see if there's a local Toastmasters group EPIC FAIL
- Continue to work hard, but not to the point of increasing my anxiety! This is going really well, I feel like I've turned a corner on this
- Buy wardrobe Done! Just needs to be built and clothes sorted
- Sell computer and buy cheaper replacement Total nightmare with my @pple account means this still hasn't been done
- Sell all the tat in our flat! I need to put a deadline on this because what doesn't sell needs to go to the charity shops!
- Celebrate my birthday! Ha! It was an incredibly stressful workday but I got cake at the end of it so it was all alright

Maaaaaaybe I was too ambitious with the amount of music work I was hoping to get on with :rotfl:

Anyway, in addition to a gig and two wedding fairs (and TWO nights out because I'm a non-stop party animal), these are the lofty aims for my week:

- Surveys and Cashback (including chasing missing claim)
- Look into First Direct account
- Look into LISA account for mortgage saving
- Pay for union membership
- Look for more wedding and vintage fairs
- Research local and national venues that welcome vintage-style performers
- Contact agents (I've got some very helpful personal recommendations to go off now)
- put together wardrobe and sort clothes
- Sell tat and desktop
- Cancel Spotify
- Design and buy new banners and flyers
- Arrange dentist appointment
- Close Irish phone account and get credit back
- Sort out @pple account
- Dry cleaning
- Update finances
- Get car serviced
- Buy new workout gear (mine is literally falling apart)
- Blitz flat

I think that's quite enough to be getting on with!