Do you have power over your problems, or do they have power over you?
As a freelancer or solo professional you will always have to deal with problems.
Here are just a few of them:
- Slow paying clients.
- Difficulties with cash flow.
- Trouble finding work.
- Behind on bookkeeping.
- Behind on paying taxes.
- Friction with family arising from working at home.
- Negative publicity.
You can probably add a few more problems of your own.
Having problems is nothing to be surprised about. It happens with every business, large or small.
But problems can have a greater impact on freelancers simply because we work alone. We not only have to be productive each day, working billable hours to generate income, but we also have to tackle and resolve those problems.
It is HOW we face these problems that makes the biggest difference.
All too often we put them on the back burner. Which is a nice way to say that we ignore them. The trouble is, while we might consciously decide to put them aside, unconsciously the problems remain.
And that unconscious awareness of unresolved problems creates a huge drag on our forward momentum as we try to work.
Trying to be productive while carrying a load of unresolved problems is like trying to steam full speed ahead with a dozen anchors trailing along behind us.
Put simply, when you fail to address problems in a timely manner you are no longer in control of your day or your mind. You hand over power to the problems, and they nibble away at your focus and concentration all day long.
The answer is to face every problem head on and resolve it as quickly as possible.
Sometimes a lingering problem can be resolved with a single phone call or email. Sometimes it will take longer, but you can take the first step. And taking that first step can lift a huge burden off your shoulders. Once you get started, you know you are in control. You now have power over the problem, rather than the other way around.
As freelancers we work with both opportunities and problems on a daily basis.
Our success will likely be defined as much by how we deal with the problems as it is by how we approach the opportunities.
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