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“Know your limit and work within it” is standa

“Know your limit and work within it” is standard productivity advice.

But have you ever thought about working below your capacity?

It’s something a friend and collaborator told me last year that stuck with me.

She said she tries to work below her capacity to prioritize her personal life and leave a little buffer room if anything unexpected comes up.

I struggle with knowing my limits and often find myself with way too many work assignments and not enough time to get them all done. But when you’re so used to being super busy, it can be tough to recognize the signs when you’ve taken on too much.

Here’s why:

1) Over-schedulers, like chronically late people, are fundamentally optimistic.
We believe we can get everything done in the allotted time, but we’re often wrong.

2) Being busy can be addictive.
If you’re not an overscheduler, you might think the solution is simply giving yourself more time. But it’s not so easy because being busy can feel good. I like how accomplished I feel when I get a lot of stuff done, even when I know it’s terrible for me in the long run.

3) Mindset stuff.
I sometimes feel like I’m not doing enough or working hard enough when I work less, even though I know I tend to work too much.

Knowing your limit isn’t easy when all of these other factors are at play.

This is why I love this approach. Because it’s not just a directive to work less – which I’m sure we all could stand to do – but a permission slip.

There’s the ‘what’ (i.e., working less), but also the ‘why,’ which is the reminder that if you don’t know your limits, working under capacity is probably better than trying to figure the exact perfect amount of time required for every task you do in a day.

Do you practice working below your limits? Let me know in the comments.

And if you found this post helpful, don’t forget to:

❤️ Like, comment, save, or share this post with a freelance friend
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It sucks when a project doesn't go the way you pla

It sucks when a project doesn't go the way you planned.

But there are some things you can do to manage the situation and even prevent it from happening.

👂🏾 Listen to your gut.
I know I've been in this situation where I didn't listen to my gut in the beginning and ended up in a messy situation that was preventable. Take the time to vet your leads. If they're not a good fit, don't move forward. If there are issues before you start working with them, they won't magically disappear after signing the contract. Speaking of which...

📜 Get a rock-solid contract.
A client cancelling a project shouldn't leave you in the lurch. Having a contract can make this situation easier for you.

If you need a contract, Contracts Market is my go-to. Full disclosure: I'm a Contracts Market affiliate and earn a commission when you purchase through my link (in bio), but you can also use my code, JASMINE10, for an additional 10% off!

🤝 Set crystal-clear expectations.
Sometimes projects can flop because what you delivered didn't match what the client expected. So to avoid this awkward situation, get super detailed with your quotes and project proposals.

💭 Try to understand why it happened (and what you can learn from it).
It's never a fun situation, and it can be hard not to take it somewhat personally but treat it as a learning opportunity. Do a debrief with yourself and ensure you understand what led to the project not working out so you can avoid this situation.

❤️‍🩹 Give yourself some time to process.
Even if logically you know what went down, it can still hurt emotionally. Give yourself some time and space to process your feelings.

How do you cope with a project flopping? Let me know in the comments.

And if you found this post helpful, don't forget to:

❤️ Like, comment, save, or share this post with a freelance friend
👯‍♀️ Follow me here on Instagram for more freelancing tips
📧 Join 1100+ subscribers and sign up for my Freelance Curious newsletter! Get deeper dives on topics like this post, plus my top five issues, right away when you subscribe.

Sooo I downloaded @threadsapp. It has fully taken

Sooo I downloaded @threadsapp. It has fully taken over my life and…I’m not mad at that?

I’ll share my deeper thoughts in next week’s Freelance Curious (link in bio to subscribe) but here’s a little taste of what I’m thinking and feeling.

What about y’all? Are you into Threads? Not feeling it? Let me know in the comments.

#ChatGPT #ThreadsApp #OpinionsMatter #WriterLife #HumanConnection #ArtificialIntelligence #EmbracingHumanity #Storytelling #WritingCommunity #CreativityMatters

Not getting paid is one of the worst situations wh

Not getting paid is one of the worst situations when you're freelance. 😫

Here are my top tips to help you avoid this situation altogether.

💳 Accept credit card payments
🔔 Automate invoice reminders
🙅🏾‍♀️ Charge a non-refundable deposit
📃 Invest in a good contract

P.S. @contractsmarket is my go-to for contract templates, and today is the last day of their 30% off Summer Sale! Full disclosure: I'm a Contracts Market affiliate and earn a commission when you purchase through my link (in bio). You can also use my code, JASMINE10, for an additional 10% off!

What tips would you add to this list?

Also, if you found this post helpful, don't forget to:

❤️ Like, comment, save, or share this post with a freelance friend
👯‍♀️ Follow me for more freelancing tips
📧 Join 1100+ subscribers and sign up for my Freelance Curious newsletter

I’ve gotten pretty good at setting boundaries wi

I’ve gotten pretty good at setting boundaries with my clients as a freelancer.

They know when I will and won’t respond to emails and Slack messages, what communication channels I use, how I prefer to receive feedback, etc.

I’m not perfect. I still have to deal with scope creep and chase invoices, but it happens less often than it used to.

But setting boundaries with myself? Ooof, that’s a tough one.

I’ve definitely sacrificed evenings or weekends to catch up on work.

And it’s not my clients asking me to do this. It’s me.

Sometimes I see my schedule as a challenge. If a task takes me two hours, my instinct is to try and do it in one. This mindset helped me grow my business and be more efficient, but it also led me to chronically overschedule myself.

When I started my business, what excited me the most about entrepreneurship was the idea of limitless potential.

But I’ve realized there’s no such thing as limitless potential. The limit is your body and your mind.

You can work as much as you want, but at what cost? As an entrepreneur, you don’t always have somebody to call you out on your bad habits. You have to do it yourself.

Last summer, I let things slow down quite a bit. I still had work, but about half as much as usual.

And gosh, it felt good.

Since then, I’ve made a much more conscious effort to prioritize rest and joy and not let my wants and needs fall by the wayside.

If your personal boundaries have also gotten a little flimsy and flaky, know that I see you, and I’m with you.

But know that you can firm them back up again.

Make time and space to take care of yourself. And protect that time and space with everything you’ve got.

Found this post helpful?

❤️ Like, comment, save, or share this post with a friend
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As a freelancer, knowing how to divide your time o

As a freelancer, knowing how to divide your time or prioritize in a way that works for you and your clients can be challenging.

So here are some of my top tips.

🤹🏾‍♀️ 1. Don’t work with too many clients at once (or offer too many different services).
If you feel constantly exhausted, stressed, and your work quality starts to suffer, you must cut back. Be honest about how many clients you can work with. If you can’t work with fewer clients and maintain your income, up your rates.

🛠️ 2. Use all-in-one tools.
Many freelancers start with a ‘franken-free’ system (i.e., using a bunch of single-use, free apps to avoid paying for a better, more comprehensive tool). But what you save in money, you spend in time. Instead of using different apps for contracts, invoices, forms, and scheduling, I use one CRM. It does the work of all those apps and more, so I don’t have to constantly switch from one app to another.

🗓️ 3. Time block or task batch.
It’s hard for me to get into a deep flow when I have too many meetings, so having days to block out all distractions has been a game-changer. You just have to find a time-blocking interval that works for you. Maybe you could use your mornings for deep work and afternoons for calls and client comms. Or you could try out a VIP day or week model.

🙅🏾‍♀️ 4. Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.
Remember: you have control over how frequently you switch gears. If you want to devote specific days of the week to different clients, you can do that. Don’t want to monitor your inbox or Slack constantly? Don’t. You don’t want to leave your clients in the dark, but you must know what boundaries allow you to do your best work (and enforce them).

Have your own tips? Share 'em in the comments. And don't forget to...

❤️ Like, comment, save, or share this post to help a freelancer in need
👯‍♀️ Follow me here on Instagram for more freelancing tips
📧 Join 1100+ subscribers and sign up for my Freelance Curious newsletter! Get deeper dives on topics like this post, plus my top five issues, right away when you subscribe (link in bio).

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