Ok - so, I didn't make it the very next day. But at least I didn't wait several months. So, we are making progress, right? Of course we are!
A couple of days ago, one of my friends posed a question in the Absolute Write forum. As a freelancer, whether you are a writer, graphic designer, whatever you do as a freelancer, how do you handle a personal crisis? Do you keep going or do you take a few days for yourself?
One of the major benefits of being a freelancer is that you make your own schedule. You are the boss - you are in control. Well, most of the time, anyway. A lot of the time, there are deadlines looming.
I think being a freelancer does make it harder on a person sometimes. For instance, if you have a 9-5 job, you are expected to be there barring a major event in your life. Being a freelancer, however, makes it easier to take a day off. The only problem is that it is easier to take a day off and if you are not careful, you could start taking days off at the drop of a hat.
Now, I'm not saying everyone would do that, but it would be a habit that would be easy to slip into. So, how do you determine when to take time off for yourself and when to keep going?
I'd love to hear some ideas from others on this subject. And, tomorrow, I'll talk about what I do to keep myself going when I would rather not. I suffer from chronic depression - and it is so, so easy for me to fall into the trap of taking time off or just simply staring at the computer. I think you can tell that from the long periods that lapse between posts.
Just leave a comment with your thoughts. I'd love to hear them!
Until next time,
Cindy
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2 comments:
This is a very tough topic because, there are a lot of "unsaid expectations" constantly placed on freelancers. For example, people around us think we get to "sit around all day playing on the computer," so we must have all kinds of time to run errands for them, and do things they think we should be spending our time on.
That's frustrating.
There are times when life gets in the way of my career and I have to spend time picking up the pieces again. Sometimes, I wonder if it's worth the effort. Then, I remind myself that "this, too, shall pass" and I wage onward!
Great point, Jenn! I run into that problem as well - and I am sure most freelancers do.
"Oh, Buddy works from home. He doesn't have a schedule. Let's get him to do it!"
People just do not seem to understand that although a freelancer works from home most of the time, and has a flexible schedule, they still have deadlines and have to pay their bills!
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