Guilt is a completely useless emotion. Many may argue that every emotion serves a purpose, but in my experience, nothing good has come of feeling guilty. Surprisingly, however, it has been one of the most difficult emotions to keep in check since I started freelancing.
When I began my career as a freelance editor, I was inundated with advice. “You should do this.” “You should be doing that.” “Should, should, should.” Every time I failed to follow through with a “should,” guilt would follow. The best piece of advice I received, however, long before I started freelancing, was from my dad: “Don’t ‘should’ all over yourself.” Other important people in my life have mirrored this advice. For me, the main motivation for starting a business was to call the shots in my own life – so why “shouldn’t” I do things my way?
Obviously there are things that every freelancer needs to do, such as build a client base and make enough money to live. But how you approach those goals is completely up to you. You are going to make mistakes. Yes. You are. And I often find it very difficult not to obsess over what I’ve done wrong and become overwhelmed with guilt. But again, this is a useless emotion. Recognize the mistake, learn from it, and move on. Every new business owner is going to make mistakes – it’s all part of the learning process. How else could we better ourselves? But obsessing about mistakes will only drain your energy and prevent you from moving forward.
So give yourself a break. Make decisions that are best for you and your business and do what you love.
Thoughts? What overwhelms you? How do you overcome it?
Namaste 🙂
Freelancing to Freedom 
You started your own business so that you could do what you wanted to do, right? When you hear the “you should”, think of it as advice.
In the end, you decide what you want, no one else. You’re the boss, and you call the shots. If it doesn’t work out, you are the one that has to take the responsibility, no one else.
So, look at it as simply advice, and you choose whether to take it.
As for the overwhelming? A bank account that is lower than the expenses. 😦
By: Ivan on March 28, 2011
at 6:25 pm
You’re right. It’s a matter of simply viewing it as advice and choosing whether or not it works for you. Thanks for commenting.
By: faultlessfinish on March 28, 2011
at 6:53 pm
Very perceptive, Rachel! Your post had me thinking about how reading other blogs had me overwhelmed in a similar way. They each had their own advice about the best way to do such-and-such. I love interacting with other bloggers, but I’ve got to remind myself to continue to be authentically me. Thanks for the inspiration. =)
By: Samantha Bangayan on March 29, 2011
at 2:38 am
Thanks, Samantha! I love that statement – “authentically me.” So true! The internet is a great place to connect but it can so easily become overwhelming.
By: faultlessfinish on March 29, 2011
at 1:58 pm