Freelance
Writers' Series
Career & Business Development Help
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Know those days when the frustrations of being a freelancer/small biz owner make you so angry that you could just call it quits?! Read on for how to channel that energy positively. The Angry, Frustrated Freelancer:
It's 8:30 a.m. and you're checking your email; savoring your first cup of coffee. The phone rings. Your steady client of two years notifies you that she will no longer need your services after next week. You decide to walk it off and go to the mailbox. It's stuffed with returned postcards from a recent mailing. "Insufficient, nonexistent or no forwarding address on file" are the checked boxes. And, you forgot to put stamps on some. Postage and printing costs down the drain! Further, the big check from the client that's always late still has not arrived. And, payroll is just a couple of days away. "Arrgghhhh, I quit!" you scream to no one in particular. The neighbor grabbing his morning paper scurries inside with a half-scared look in your direction. If you've ever had a day like this, welcome to the not-so-joyous side of small business ownership. These are what I call survivor days. Here are five tactics to pull you through.
1. Develop a war mentality: I have a rule that if three or more out-of-the-blue things go wrong, then I put on my combat gear - figuratively speaking. Just tell yourself that it's going to be one of those days. Business, especially small business, is a test of mental strength. Although it may seem that we have more than our share of fires to extinguish, try to hold on to the fact that "this too shall pass." 2. Pack it in and pull out the hobby: Sometimes taking the day off is the perfect antidote. Whatever your hobby - cooking, watching Oprah, gardening - indulge. A one, two, three punch of bad news requires some TLC. Retreating to something you love soothes the spirit, refreshing you for renewed battle another day. Depending on the weather, I lace up my sneakers and take a long run. Physical activity clears my brain and grounds me. It also helps with the old jiggly thighs - a secondary benefit. 3. Make a joke of it: I declare war day and laugh myself silly when "one more thing" goes wrong. Reality is simply how we perceive what's happening. If you turn every bad thing into a joke, you start to look for something to go wrong. Write them down. Months later, when you're facing yet another crisis, you can look back and see that, "Oh yeah, I've had worse days and I survived." 4. Phone a friend: A good ear can work wonders. Every small business owner should have somebody they can turn to, someone who supports their vision and is there in good times and bad. Husbands, wives, friends and family are great. However, I've found other small business owners to be particularly helpful when one of these days crash reality. Joining professional organizations offer chances to network and build strong friendships. Usually, you will develop a rapport with one or two people that you can call in a time of need. 5. Assess your reactions: If a series of incidents cause you to become upset beyond reason - depression, inability to sleep for extended periods, moodiness - then it's time to assess if more is happening than just a sequence of bad events. Your instincts could be trying to alert you to something - e.g., you want out of your business, but are afraid to face this reality; you need to refocus the business; your business is failing and you can't deal with it; et cetera. Every business has its ups and downs. When a crisis hits, examining your gut reaction can clue you in. Remember, Bill Gates and Paul Allen (Microsoft) started in a garage. If they'd given up when one string of code didn't work . . . Well, why don't we just not go there. So, chin up. Tomorrow is but a day away! *********************************
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