Home
>
Time Management
>
Hey, Free Agent, Did You Eat Your Breakfast Today?

Hey, Free Agent, Did You Eat Your Breakfast Today?

And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was it morning or ... 3 pm?

When the phone is jangling, the pace hectic and deadlines looming, do you stop ? to eat?

All self-employed people share the title Chief-Cook-and-Bottle-Washer. Which is just another way to say that it is easy to get stretched thin when you are responsible for everything.

In a perfect world, our work would keep us stimulated, pay the bills, and provide us with a sufficient income to allow a decent quality of life. We would have neither too much nor too little work and it would come in an even flow. Not only that, but our clients would be pleasant and they would pay us on time.

We, in turn, would find it easy to perform our services to the public with excellence because we would be able to stay in touch with the joy that made us choose our line of work in the first place.

But the reality is that most of us are lucky if we can get within spitting distance of our perfect world, much less live in it.

While many of us are drawn to freelance living by the prospect of freedom from having a boss, the truth is that we are at the beck and call of our clients. And, often, through no fault of our own, our workflow is one of feast or famine.

So ? did you eat breakfast today? And when you did, was it morning or 3 pm?

We self-employed folks tend to drive ourselves to go the extra mile. For too many of us the reason is fear. Fear that if we turn down a job there won't be another.

We know that is illogical, but being self-employed means living with a great deal of financial risk. We often feel we can't take the chance. So we take on the new project even though we are exhausted. Or, against our better judgment, we take on a new client whose behavior forewarns of difficulties ahead.

But there is much wisdom in the flight attendant's canned speech that 'in the event of emergency, place the oxygen mask over your face' before assisting your children.

The logic is obvious. You can't help your kids, or anyone else, if you lack basic oxygen.

When you take proper care of yourself, you work better and feel better. And that shows up on the bottom line.

So ? did you eat breakfast today?

Ellen Zucker's website http://www.selfemployment101.com is designed to help the creative sole-proprietor earn a living and have a life.

Have Ellen's articles delivered to your in-box. Subscribe to her ezine http://www.selfemployment101.com.

scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

Hey, Free Agent, Did You Eat Your Breakfast Today?

Time Management