When you work for yourself you have the innate desire to make everyone happy... Thats a good thing, a very good thing in fact. You find that people love working with you so you get asked to do more and more all the time... you say YES because you are happy to help and you would rather say yes than no.
you are busy, so busy in fact that you no longer have time to do your laundry, grocery shop or clean your house. YAY this is living. But is it?
Suddenly you have become so in demand that you are not living anymore, you are floating through from one project to the next. Days turn into weeks and suddenly you find yourself ringing in the next year and you barely know where the last one went.
If you always chase the money you will have no time to chase your passion. If you are working in your passion you are lucky, the days go quickly and you get excited about every project, every client and every new thing.
but ...
what also happens is that you miss what is right in front of you because you have been attached to your cell phone, laptop or ipad. You are pale, you failed to go enjoy the sunshine, you missed your chance at a vacation and you feel as thought your days are gone.
Some times you get those clients that have become accustomed to you working until mid-night, weekends and jumping and responding quickly. To the point that they have expectations of you that you can no longer meet.
Your time is lost, your stress is found and your depleted.
Its better to have less of the right clients than more of just any clients. Clients that value your time and effort, that appreciate your days and respect your boundries. They stop and bring you coffee, think about you and expect you to enjoy your holidays and weekends.
You don't always get to say no to clients, but you always find a way to say no to yourself. Start turning the conversation around so that it is equal.
Lessons from an entrepreneur.