Pregnant, just quit my job… now what??!!

A few months ago, I was an extremely successful radio presenter and club DJ, I didn't need to look for work, it just came my way. I hardly ever worried about money as my salary always came in and the work was constantly flowing. But at the end of the year I made a decision to leave radio, not knowing exactly why but just knowing that it was time to move on.

A month later I found out I was pregnant with my second child. Great news for the family but clearly not great news for business! Suddenly my future in the months to follow had changed drastically. I had planned to start a new business while I continued to DJ professionally but a new business takes time to get off the ground so I knew it would probably not support me financially for a good while. I now had a time limit and because I had done this before, I knew how much I had to save to get me through the months of work I had to take off, and it was quite a bit!

Being a club DJ is not very conducive to being pregnant; due to the smoke and loud music in nightclubs, it's recommended that you DJ until latest the end of your 6th month of pregnancy. So I'm looking at a total of 4 months at least of no DJing salary!

I must admit, this didn't worry me too much when I first fell pregnant as at the time I had just been through the busiest season, but that soon changed… I no longer had a second income from my radio show and January is a nightmare month for all entertainers. Added to that, I got married at the end of January so no saving money there! Then I started to seriously worry. February has usually been an okay month for me, nothing spectacular but I always managed to pay the bills. Not this February! Performances that were provisionally booked were cancelled and none of the promoters I work with regularly were calling. I was faced with a situation I had never encountered in my career before, I really needed work!

This has been a very difficult time for me, I have begun to doubt my talent as a DJ, I now wonder if promoters only booked me in the past for my radio presence and worst of all, I'm afraid that they are not booking me because they don't want a pregnant woman behind the decks!

I have no idea what the reasons are for this odd turn of events in my life, but I do know this, adversity lies around every corner so best you ignore it before it gets the better of you!

Here I am doubting myself when I should be stupidly happy; I am pregnant with another little boy, have an amazing family who supports and believes in me and, apart from the last two months, have had a sterling career as a professional DJ. Maybe this is the universe's way of telling me, or forcing me rather, to trust that every decision I make in life is the right one.

Knowing how hard it is to stay positive during tough times, I have a few suggestions for those of you going through financial strain due to pregnancy, lack of contract work, retrenchment etc. etc…

1) Budget!!!!…

    •    Re-look at your monthly expenses. Scrutinize what your money is regularly spent on and you'll probably find that you spend quite a lot on junk (dvd's, take-aways, clothing, coffee & cake etc.). Make allowances for a certain amount of 'junk' though, you don't want to depress yourself even more by not being able to indulge in a guilty pleasure here and there.
    •    If you have unnecessary policies, cancel them or, if you're pregnant, freeze them until you've had your baby.
    •    Store accounts are pure evil so cut up those cards immediately!
    •    Credit cards have a huge interest rate so try not to use them, after all, you are probably spending money you don't have.
    •    Be realistic and honest with yourself… If you can't afford to have you nails done every week, then don't! Weigh up what is truly important to you and what you feel you cannot go without and work it to fit in with your budget… And if your budget is so tight that you cannot add something else into it, well then, you'll just have to go without and be proud that you have the strength and will-power to do that.

2) Keep yourself busy…

    •    Stagnation is the mother of all fuck-ups! No matter what your situation, keep doing 'something' that makes you happy every day. Start a blog as I've done, read inspiring stories, plan your new business, send your cv out, contact potential clients, get advice from friends, tell your family your worries. Whatever it is you decide to do, make sure it's something that is contributing to the 'big picture' that is your life, you will soon begin to realize what truly makes you happy, and I can guarantee you it's not money, that's just a side-effect.

3) Have a weekly schedule….

    •    All successful people and businesses have one common thread, something about them is consistent. Maintaining a schedule of some sort will make you feel more organized and it will free up a load of energy, allowing you to be ready to tackle life's curve balls as they arise. Also, if you consciously make time for the little things, like going for a walk, it will stop you from missing out on the pleasurable aspects of life that are always last on our list but are so vital for happiness.

4) Appreciate what you've got….

    •    Instead of worrying about the things you don't have right now, try focus on the abundance that you already have in your life. It will shift your focus and make you more positive, and positivity always breeds good experiences!

So, those are some of the rules I am trying to live by and I'm hoping that if you're in a similar position you will do the same. Sometimes we take ourselves and life way too seriously and these experiences are just the universe's way of telling us that there is more to life than your job and money… So… SO… Much more…

XXX

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