My last blog post was about how I have been busy with a few side hustles. After going through some big life changes on top of experiencing a pandemic, I decided it was time to get some extra cash so I can begin to rebuild my life.
The first thing I took on was working with the Census, helping the community count the citizens to make sure each community has proper funding and representation. One of the perks of signing up to be an Enumerator with the Census is that it was for a short period of time. By October, all work was wrapping up. It was something to do, get in, and get out.
It was a flexible gig. I set the hours I wanted to work and if I had cases to go through that day, I'd venture out and explore areas of Brooklyn I haven't ventured out into in the 22 years I've lived in NYC.
The $28 per hour rate was also quite nice for the wallet.
Last week, I turned in my badge and equipment.
On my way to the drop-off site, here are some of the things I reflected on:
Dealing with social anxiety in the middle of a pandemic
I haven't blogged about it much, but I've been open about my struggle with anxiety on LinkedIn.
Over the years, I learned how to manage my anxiety. But I wasn't ready for the way isolation would impact my anxiety.
I spent the first three months of the Covid outbreak, quarantined with my mom outside of NYC. Even in an apartment building, we were pretty isolated from the rest of the world. Most people stayed indoors and even with two walks a day, we would rarely run into other people.
When I moved back to NYC, the simple things I once conquered became challenging again. Small interactions with neighbors became anxiety-inducing and being around strangers spiked my level of alertness to levels I haven't felt in a long time.
When you go through an experience, you tend to take for granted the impact it has on you. Three months of isolation undid so much of the work I've put in with my anxiety. My panic attacks returned for the first time in years.
Turning inward wasn't a choice. My life had been in a free-fall for too long at this point. I needed something to channel this anxiety, my mental health depended on it.
Going into this job gave me a reason to go out into the world and interact with people on a weekly basis. The first day was as most first days go, a learning curve and full of unexpected encounters.
Doing this each week, helped me take the baby steps I needed to start interacting with people again.
I also was able to make a difference in my community. Which is a great transition into my next point.
Using my skills to make an impact
Something this entrepreneurship journey has taught me is that I yearn to make an impact with everything I do.
If my work doesn't have a bigger why that in some way helps people, I lose interest. I didn't acknowledge this part of myself for a long time. Embracing it has allowed me to find experiences that fuel that part of me.
All of sudden, pushing through my anxiety on challenging days wasn't so difficult because the work I would do that day would help my community have the voice it deserves and receive the funding that will allow it to thrive.
I already knew that when you connect to your work on a deeper level, beyond the money, your experience goes to the next level. This was theory, in motion, in real-time.
Opening up to more money possibilities
Mindset is more improtant than any habit you may ever pick up. This is something I talk about with my client often. If you're curious about sparking abundance momentum in your life, check out my blog about becoming a Money Magnet.
Before becoming a Census Enumerator, I was limiting myself in how money can flow to me. In my mind, it had to be only through specific channels.
Something I teach my clients is to embrace that money can and will flow to you in many ways, even unexpected ways. The goal is to open yourself to the idea of more abundance and possibilities. When you plug into this frequency, abundance begins to come to you.
I didn't realize I was framing my money flow this way until I started the Census job. I decided to take advantage of this momentum and start looking for other ways to make money.
If you want to chat about emracing change in your life, send me a message at olga@ragstorichesconsulting.com