by Leo Wiles
27 November 2015
Some of you may recall back in the late 90s, a book called Who Moved My Cheese? This motivational page-turner by Spencer Johnson was actually about change – change we choose and change that is thrust upon us. And, while it’s no longer a new and shiny concept I was recently reminded of one its key messages – that if you didn’t take charge of your career others would do it for you.
My epiphany kicked in following a churning tummy feeling I had following a client meeting. You know the one: where you get a hunch there’s something they’re not saying and you doubt it bodes well for you.
(The first time I feel that sinking feeling was after a GM rang to say sorry he was letting me go because the board couldn’t find the budget. A fortnight later I discovered he had hired his daughter in my stead.)
These days, I listen to those little gut feelings. My gut tends to read people better than little ol’ trusting me.
And, along with not putting all your hopes in one basket or pinning your retirement plans on one publication or commissioning editor, it’s a lesson I believe we all have to learn one day. That is, get out in front.
Freelancing can be a challenging gig. We have multiple bosses we need to placate and hopefully plenty of deadlines that we need to juggle. But despite being flat out – as many of us are heading into Christmas before the print dry spell of December/January – you still need to keep your feelers out for the future.
So what’s your get-out-of-debtors-prison card? Is it a Monday morning spent contacting prospective clients or pitching editors? Is it touching base in person (if possible) once a month at a business seminar / network event /booze up?
Whatever it is, if you don’t have one you need one. Make the time. Squeeze fifteen minutes out of each day to plan where it is you’re headed and what it is you need to get you there. Even if you don’t get ditched by your client and write me off as a doomsayer, the brilliant news is you’ll be in high demand and be able to ditch clients who don’t respect your work or pay your properly. Which sounds like a win win to me.
How do you move your cheese to keep one step ahead?
Photo by Redd Angelo, Unsplash
One of the great challenges of freelancing – going out to look for cheese even while you have a room full of cheese waiting to be eaten!
Haha, SO true! 🙂