Back when I was slaving away in a corporate job, I promised myself that when I became a full-time freelancer, I’d do things much differently.
I promised I’d take a day off every month to reflect on the events of the previous four weeks. I would use this day to think about what went right, what went wrong and how I handled the challenges that came my way. I would reexamine my list of goals and make adjustments as needed.
I’d then spend a few hours strategizing for the next month. And I’d cap off the day with a hike in the woods and a one-hour massage, after which I’d pick up my son from school and we’d go fishing or play some baseball.
When I first went solo, I made good on my promise. But then I got busy — very busy. And I stopped making time for my “Day of Reflection,” as I like to call it.
During a recent weekend backpacking trip, as I enjoyed the beauty of the Appalachian foothills, I realized how much I miss that Day of Reflection. For me, there’s great value in taking time to assess and make changes. And I love capping off the day with a relaxing massage and one-on-one time with my son.
No, it’s not the only reason I decided to become a freelancer. It’s just a nice perk I instituted way back then. A perk I’m proud to have added to my list of “company benefits” here at Gandia Communications Inc. And a perk that actually means something to me (as opposed to things like “pet insurance” or other ridiculous benefits my last employer offered).
That’s why I’ve recently gotten back into that habit…and why I’m going to stick to it this time.
Because it’s important to me. And because I can.
What about you? Have you made a similar mistake? What little perks did you promise you’d give yourself…but have since gotten away from?
What’s stopping you from getting back into those habits? How could you restructure your week or your business to make it happen again?
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Ed Gandia is a co-founder of TheWealthyFreelancer.com and a co-creator of The “Launch Email” Technique: The Fastest Way to Attract Good-Paying Clients as a New Freelancer.
Photo courtesty of Michael Haring via Flickr
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It’s hard to keep those personal commitments, but it sure is important. I’ve found I need to stay balanced to stay creative. This time of year it’s easy to get so busy we forget the important stuff, thanks for the gentle reminder.
Taking some time off to reflect, think and relax is a great way to overcome the day-to-day stresses that we all have. I think the once a month day is a great idea.
I made that promise to myself, and I kept it. I have complete days off every so often to go for long walks etc.
Work life balance is tough when you are your own boss. It seems as there is always work to do whether business development, admin or otherwise. I like the idea of a set day each month for a day of reflection.
I love the way you call it a company perk – that’s exactly what we need to think of it as. Far too many freelancers forget that they’re not slaves to the business – they are humans beings who deserve respect, holidays, sick days and “Days of Reflection.”
Good for you for remembering and brining it back into your life!
Susan, Penny, Karl – You guys definitely get this. I talk to people who think I’m crazy (or lazy) when I do this sort of thing. But here’s the thing, not only do I need this time to regroup, it’s also very productive in a way. Some of the best ideas I’ve ever had come to me when I’m in that relaxed state. There’s great value in taking time to sharpen the saw.
Thanks for your comments!
I’m glad you feel this way, Ed. Seems like all anyone ever talks about is how to work harder and make more money as a freelancer. But what’s the point of getting out of a life-sucking corporate environment if you create the same sort of environment for yourself when you go out of your own?
Having a LIFE is one of the biggest benefits of working for yourself. Make money, sure. But don’t make yourself miserable.
So much of writing is being creative. There’s no question one is more productive in a relaxed state; but as you say, when the work starts rolling in, all those wonderful plans are very quick to hurtled out of the door.
My partner used to work in a very employee-friendly company that provided all sorts of ‘happy perks’ – they even had an artist employed as company clown/director of happiness – to enable their employees to be relaxed and productive. I used to love hanging out there for lunch!
My drive now is to get this business to a point where I can provide for my family, allowing us to achieve that life balance we all seek. Having never been ‘in business’ (I was an English teacher in my last guise), I didn’t start freelancing with any negative experiences in faceless coorporates, I started it because it was something I’m good at and I can do it at home with my children around me.
I don’t expect it to get out of control busy (maybe I’m being naive!) but am working so hard now that maybe I should start considering backing off once in a while. At what point can you allow yourself those moments of reflection? I have oodles of those moments currently simply because we aren’t flooded (just yet!), but I can feel a change in the currents now; could it be time to start giving myself perks!?
I am pretty new at freelancing, but I’ve already become a workaholic. However, I make time to run and do yoga every day. It keeps me focused and gives me time just to myself.
Cara
http://www.carabreeden.net
I completely agree AND I am one of the biggest offenders of NOT doing this! I guess that is why I need to read this and take it to heart more often. I am often stuck in that it-can-wait-to-the-weekend mentality that too many of us have as a hold out thought from working the 9-5 gig for too many years.
Unfortunately I think one of the disadvantages of being a freelancer is that we often have ideas and thoughts that are from the corp world and forget we don’t have to follow those rules if we don’t want to. My fear was always that I would start to not treat this like a business and more like a vacation so I worked really hard to maintain structure and some semblance of a “job” per se. I figure I am not alone in this pattern.
Ed – I’m with you! Escaping the tether to the corporate desk is the greatest benefit of going out on your own. When I worked for a PR firm I constantly felt guilty for either leaving earlier than my co-workers to get home to my family. If I worked late, I felt guilty for putting all the pressure on my wife. I left all that behind and don’t miss it. I still work hard, but now I get to set my own priorities — picking up the kids, making dinner, working out, whatever. I feel liberated and incredibly lucky. I thought I’d too spend more time reflecting, thinking, planning, etc. but I have let that slip. Thanks for the reminder.
Dean – You’re so right. It’s funny. I’m seeing the corporate people (both those who are still working and those who have lost their jobs) suddenly following this line of thinking. After years of 15-hour workdays, weekend trips to the office and weekly travel, they’re wondering what they hell they did it all for? For a payoff that never came? These aren’t my words; they are those of many senior execs and high-level corporate types I’ve talked with this year. The freelancers who are picking up the slack of bare-bones marketing (and other) departments are the ones who now need to be careful not to fall into this trap. Easier said than done, but it’s a good reminder.
Lucy and Cara – Congrats on your entry to freelancing! yes, as you get busy, you’ll need to schedule that day ahead of time. That’s the only way I get it done. Good luck!
Michael – I hear you, brother! I’m one of the worst too. Which is why it hit me last month, as I was surrounded by all that early-fall Appalachian mountain beauty, asking, “Why the heck don’t I do this more often??”
Jeff and Michael – Man, that corporate brainwashing affects us all — the guilty feelings of being more productive than your co-workers and subordinates and just leaving when you’re done. Luckily, I spent most of my years in outside sales, so this wasn’t much of an issue. But when I did stop by the office, it was frowned upon to leave before 6pm. What a bunch of horse &%$#*!
BTW everyone, I’m not necessarily suggesting you take a full day. Or that you do any of the things I do during my Day of Reflection. Do what energizes and invigorates you. And you may not need a whole day. I’m taking half a day one day next week. That’s better than nothing. Plus it will be enough for my purposes this month (taking Thanksgiving off and quite a bit of time later in Dec).
Thanks for your comments! This is a great discussion.
I went into business as a freelancer approximately 9 months ago. I quit a government job in order to stay home with my newborn child about 6 months after she was born. Business started out good and with a steady flow. It enable me to take time out to attend ball games this summer that my children participated in and to go camping, hunting, and four wheeler riding with my husband. Shoot, I even got to help organize a women’s softball league and play on a team myself. However, in the past few months business has grown, so much so, that now I’m lucky if I even get one day off. Plus, I’m working about 16 hours a day.
I’ve had to hire a babysitter for my daughter, and I’ve realized that I have to treat my business as a “job” and have set hours that I will work. Otherwise, I will not be able to take advantage of those company “perks” that I have by working for myself. I know that there will be days where I will be required to work overtime, and I have explained this to my family. I just hope that I can stick with the new plan that I have created for myself and for my busines. I aiming, as a goal, to have it completely taken care of by the first of the year. Revamping the structure and my time is at the top of my list for my New Year’s resolution this year!
Thanks for posting and helping me realize that I’m not the only one in this situation, and that it’s ok to take time when you have your own business. I think that many people forget that because they know that they have to work hard if they want to be successful and keep their business afloat. But, as a business owner, we are also allowed to have days off and vacation days, sick days, and other “perks” as we have worked hard in order to achieve our goals and the ability to do just that.
As a freelancer with demanding clients, setting boundaries is extremely important–not only with my clients, but with myself as well. Early on, I set some basic targets for how many hours I’d work and what income level I wanted to sustain. Just as those targets served to motivate the growth of my business, so they also continue to serve as brakes on insanity (do I really *need* the income from those extra hours? Is it worth giving up [fill in the blank] to have it?). Once in a while the answer is yes, granted, but more often than not, the answer is a very definite no.
Tamara – So good to hear you’ve realized that you have to rework your structure. Most of us go through this in the early years. My first few months were just like yours: busy but doable. The 2 years after that were absolutely nuts. I realized I had to change my approach or I’d burn out fast! As you already know, you’ll be a much more valuable to your clients if you’re happy. So think of it as a necessity, not a luxury. It’s good business, and it’s good for you.
Bill – That’s the key. To have a set of guiding principles. Otherwise, you’ll say “yes” to everything and find yourself working insane hours ALL the time. I still grapple with this, but I suspect this is normal.
For me, it’s not the one day a month off that’s a problem. It’s making a commitment to exercise 4 – 5 days a week — which is hard to do when you’re super busy. But it’s totally worth it. I feel better, I no longer suffer from migraines, and I’ve lost weight. Plus I meet people and get out into the real world. (The Internet tends to be an echo chamber.)
When I first started freelancing full-time, I was lucky enough to be immediately busy and have maintained that over the years. What was most difficult for me was giving up the “9-to-5″ mentality — meaning that I felt guilty if I wasn’t in front of the computer for a solid 8 hours every day, Monday through Friday. It’s still a challenge for me to schedule a committed ‘lunch hour”, but I put it on my list of New Year’s resolutions. I now set aside several hours during the week for business housekeeping (pitching new clients, following up on invoices, etc.). That time inevitably turns into a reflection of how the previous week/month has been. I do agree that setting boundaries is imperative to avoiding burnout, and to ensuring you’re giving your clients the best.
I think this mistake is all too easy to make, especally if you come from the big corporate life. At BC, you’e expecgted to be acessible 24/6.5, and as a freelancer, maybe there is the worry that the “security” you left behind means you have to grab every opportunity you can – who knows if an opprtunity will be tere tomorrow, and then how will you eat??
I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday about weight watchers. We all know about the benefits of a healthy diet, exercise, living longer, getting good sleep and so on. We learn this at school, its in magazines we all read, on-line, all around us. Yet how many of us still feel we need the carrot (or stick) of a group pressure *and* support to stick to a healthy eating regime, or a gym buddy to help us exercise regularly, or as yo have fond, a son to go out and do something special with?
I think: good on you for seeing your own need for this day of reflection, for valuing its benefits, and for following through on doing it. Driving a car we are correcting our route 90% of the time. Seems to me that your inner navigation system is doing the correcting very well. Enjoy your days!
Dianna – I’m glad you brought up the daily exercise thing. Because it underscores the fact that I’m not necessarily promoting a day off every month. I’m simply saying that you should give yourself a perk that means something to you. In your case, it’s that gym time 4 – 5 days a week. For others, it may mean spending time in a bookstore or working from a coffee shop half a day a month. Whatever makes you happy and you couldn’t do before as a corporate soldier, do it now!
Michelle – So true about the corporate mindset. I once worked with a guy who had worked in a law firm for 20 years and was suddenly in a job where he had to work from home. He had such a hard time with the lack of structure that he actually dressed up for work every day — put on slacks, dress shirt and even a tie every day to work out of his home office. Said it made him feel like he was actually doing work. Goes to show the effect years of conditioning can have on our beliefs!
Ed,
I think this has been a very helpful posting and discussion. Thank you for starting it off.
I looked up the origin of “freelance” – according to http://www.inspirationbit.com/the-origin-of-words/ it was the combination of two words, “free” and “lance,” in the spirit of a medieval mercenary who could lend his “free lances” as a means of employment.
I’ve always considered the word a bit of a misnomer: freelancers are simply people in business for themselves, serving a market of larger companies.
As such, as business owners, it’s good business practice to work ON the business as much as working IN the business.
Thanks Ed, for this gentle reminder to do so, and for wrapping it in such a nice, personal and insightful package.
Sorry to have missed it until connecting with you today; I’ll make a point to be back here often.
Great article. As my motto is to live every day as though it might be my last, I really DO make an effort to grant myself time to enjoy the pleasantries of life in between and even during work projects. It’s the only way to go.