Overwhelmed
FH is back at sea. But I'm the one who's swamped! I'm overwhelmed with freelance work. That's a really good thing. I love what I do, and the work keeps me busy.So why am I so angry?
It seems to be feast or famine. It would be great if all my clients would each pick a different week during the year to give me assignments, but instead, they all seem to clamour at once for my attention. And of course, though each understands that I have others, each wants to be my number one priority...and I need to make each one feel as if he or she is indeed important to me. But if I have ten clients, someone has to be number ten on the list! And just because I have instant messaging and e-mail and a VOIP phone line does not mean I am able to drop everything, including three other conversations, in order to talk right-this-minute.
Rather than get furious with them all and run in circles trying to please them all, I need to take a deep breath. No one will dump me as a freelance contractor for being up front and honest. No one will "hate me forever" if I have to say "I can't do that right now." I will do better work for everyone if I slow down and take them on one at a time. And if there are those who would leave me for another, just because I refused to put them ahead of earlier clients, I didn't need their business anyway.
Setting priorities is hard, especially when I want to make them all "number one" just as much as each of them wants to be "number one!" But I have to do it. It isn't fair to the clients if I don't, and it certainly isn't fair to me.
So I will try to breathe deeply. Make priorities and live by them. And find joy in being needed, being valued, and having an overflowing cup!
posted by Carolie @ 2:28 PM
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