So, recently on LinkedIn I noticed something. So wierd too. When I was in need of freelance work, there were no opportunities to be found, but now when I am doing my best with what I have found, I saw two different job postings looking for a web freelancer. But here’s the thing, in that moment, I quickly dismissed those opportunities. In both instances, my subconscious mind already knows they are not the right kind of opportunity for me. For the next few days, I would eventually experience split-second moments when I wondered if I should’ve applied to those opportunities, but then again, my subconscious would dismissed that thought. It’s like…, “Don’t even think about it bro. Move on please.”

Protecting My Credibility and the Trust of My Client

Sitting here tonight, I was finally able to take a moment to unpack everything that I had experienced recently. When my subconscious mind said no to those opportunities, I wasn’t being picky or choosy. God knows I am broke right now. I am literally surviving on SG60 vouchers. Literally. And there is that temptation to want to just take on whatever job/work I can find so that I can quickly meet my existing financial commitments and debts. Trust me, that urge and temptation is very real.

And yet, I am doing everything in my power to reject those temptations because I know from past mistakes and failures that when I align myself with the wrong types of project work, I would end up ruining things as a result. What would be an initial relief (money comes in, I can survive, clear my bills, etc), will end up being a slog because I had committed to a project that wasn’t really within my wheelhouse and I couldn’t excel at it. In simple terms, it is called “overpromising”. And I don’t wish to make that same mistake ever again.

So yes, as much as it sucked for me to have to say “No” to those opportunities, I also know inside my heart that I am doing something right. Something wise.

I am choosing to protect my own excellence and high quality performance. I am choosing to protect my credibility and the trust that my current (even if it’s the only one) freelance client has placed in me. Yes, maybe putting all my bet [eggs] on this client is extremely risky considering my current financial situation, but I know that if I do this one relationship right, it can still lead to more opportunities in the future.

But if I were to scatter my attention and energy onto other projects that aren’t right for me, it would end up zapping precious energy and attention away from the one client that could actually give me more in the future. So yeah, I am accepting my risk.

On the bright side though, at least I have this one client, and I know that I’ve earned and protected his trust in me. That has got to be better than having nothing [no basket, no eggs] right now.