lifestyle,  work

Staying Open

So we’re all ready to tackle this year. We are organizing schedules. Movement and mindfulness are present in everything we do. But one thing we cannot forget is to stay open. Open to change, opportunity, new experiences, and obstacles.

Just recently I received a text asking if I could meet with a potential client the day of, by the early afternoon. Immediately I begin to think of why this last minute meeting was a bad idea. I did not have time to prepare, a headache was getting worse, and I had other errands I neede to run.

Then I remembered its importance to staying open. I really want to work with this client so showing them I am flexible is a good sign. I re-prioritized the things I had to do. Took some vitamins and medicine to help me power through the meeting.

While I haven’t heard back yet from my potential client, I honestly think the meeting went well. Most importantly, I am proud of myself for staying open to the varying schedule and opportunity.

Tips for Staying Open

That scenario was a wake-up call for me. So timely for it to happen as my last little test before I go into the rest of the year blazing! I want to be prepared the next time I have the chance to experience something new or different:

  • Leave openings in your schedule. As a freelancer, it’s easy to want to book everything on a specific day but you will soon learn the importance of giving yourself breathing room. It’s important to also apply that principle to your everyday life. Don’t book back to back meetings if you don’t have to. Allow yourself 1 hour and 30-minute breaks to squeeze in a last minute opportunity is necessary.
  • Tackle the smaller task early. This will allow you to cross more things off your list. You will feel better about taking on more tasks because you’ve gotten so much completed. It will also allow better estimating times of when you will get remaining projects done before you schedule something new.
  • Delegate when possible. I get that you want to do everything to make sure it’s done right and the way you want it. I share that sentiment, but some task will get done no matter who does so let someone do it if it’ll help you do more important things.
  • Always expect opportunity. If you know there is a chance something may come up just because you want it to then believe it will and plan for it then. If it doesn’t then you’ve left space for more opportunities. When it does come to fruition you will be open.

"There is only one thing I hate more than lying: skim milk. Which is water lying about being milk." -Ron Swanson