🐈
» Forums » Coffee Break » Re: Old Age and Remote Freelancing
Page options
resultsassoc
Community Member

Old Age and Remote Freelancing

It's not completely incompatible, but nearly-so. I can compensate for most problems when creating Word documents, I'm simply slower. With Excel, it's murder. Trembling hands makes typos, which are not allowed, and lead to unpredictable consequences. Failing sight does the same.I know how to construct the algorithms to create assumption-based models, but often fight for twenty minutes to get all the right references typed correctly into the formula.Yes, I can click on individual cells, and usually find the right one in three tries. But it's not the cell that's the problem, it's the correctly-spelled definition of a value.

 

The same occurs with touch screen devices. My reading speed on kindle is down to about 150 wpm or less because every time I try to advance to the next screen I first hit something that takes two or three steps to correct. My smartphone reasonably expects me to know what I'm doing, and able to do it. First half is correct. The last half has cost me hundreds of dollars and many days of fixing problems, let alone being unable to respond to simple SMS.

 

I'm rarely out of bed before 10:00 am. The last sentence was typed as 19la; then 19:99 am; next as 10:99 sm; next one was correct. I sleep much of the  day. I've taken on two entrepreneurs to mentor, including one who is paying me for thirty minutes a week net sixty, when I'm working twelve hours a week. It's OK. I'm not charging him because I need the money, I'm charging him so he'll not ignore my advice.

 

Ghost-writing has evaporated, given that my typing speed, measured 50 years ago at 105 wpm on a 1939 Smith business typewriter, is down to perhaps 12 wpm.

 

Your mind does not need to fail you for old age to rob you of your freelancing career. Please do not offer pity, empathy or prayers. This is written as a heads-up to those in their fifties for planning purposes.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Bill, the mentoring idea would never work for me.  I just don't like other people all that much.  Meanwhile, I tend to work for younger attorneys and I am mentoring them in the ways of the legal world.

View solution in original post

15 REPLIES 15
martina_plaschka
Community Member

No prayers offered, just glad you're still here in the forum alive and kicking.

As an older freelancer myself, I've decided to devote my latter years to the writing of 'the great book'...I've been working on the plot the last three years...simply because I have still not come to that stage in life when I have considered myself as 'older'. Look, I KNOW I am. But a part of me just refuses to accept it. 

But I understand what you are saying, OP. I totally understand.

I am a whole lot older than most of you, way past "retirement age".  I find that freelancing is perfect for me because I only work a couple of hours a day and make almost twice my law firm hourly pay.  For the last two months, though, I haven't worked due to having major shoulder surgery right before the virus came along and I can't use my right arm very well.  Am finding it hard to get back to working, although I think my problem now is emotional rather than physical.  Fortunately, my main client (off the platform) has been wonderfully understanding through it all.  I just need to start and it will - hopefully - all fall into place.

georgefirmwst
Community Member


 

Your mind does not need to fail you for old age to rob you of your freelancing career. 


This is really good advice, I've never thought of it that way. Most of my thoughts were centered around the idea that my mind would slowly fade away from its former state.

It's very interesting to see that you're up and running despite whatever old age has brought to you.

It's something I am conscious of even at the relatively young age of 44, especially as a foreigner living in a country where the only safety net is family. I dread the thought of my kids having to support me at some point. 

My side gig is something I hope will give me more security in the future. It's something I hope to make as passive as possible should I become incapacitated for whatever reason. Then I can spend more time in the garden telling the kids to get off my lawn. 

Thank you, every one. I received responses very different from what I expected, and I learned from every post. @Mary, it might be time for you to do what I did, and focus on mentoring others. The emotional inertia caused me to focus only on that, which kept me going and finally got me to the point where I'm actually responding to what I consider really good opportunities. I'm never going to make $500 an hour again, and I don't want to. I want to contribute.

Bill, the mentoring idea would never work for me.  I just don't like other people all that much.  Meanwhile, I tend to work for younger attorneys and I am mentoring them in the ways of the legal world.


Mary W wrote:

Bill, the mentoring idea would never work for me.  I just don't like other people all that much.  Meanwhile, I tend to work for younger attorneys and I am mentoring them in the ways of the legal world.


People are the worst


Mark F wrote:

Mary W wrote:

Bill, the mentoring idea would never work for me.  I just don't like other people all that much.  Meanwhile, I tend to work for younger attorneys and I am mentoring them in the ways of the legal world.


People are the worst


Most animals are a-holes too. 

I like animals better.

Me too


Mark F wrote:

Me too


Hey, that's my name!

animals are better, they don't treason you, don't lie and don't laugh at you.

From Mary W.

"I like animals better."

 

Me too. They're tastier and don't complain as much when you're preparing them as an entree.

Hi Bill - Good to hear your voice.

Latest Articles
Learning Paths