Treat Yourself the Way Others Would Treat You

{photo credit} Now that sounds bad, doesn’t it?

Kind of like I’m suggesting you let others abuse you or treat you with disregard.

But actually, I’m saying quite the opposite. It really depends how you look at it.

Today, I listened in on a webinar done by The Savvy Freelancer’s Lexi Rodrigo with senior editor of Freelancer Folder Laura Spencer. It was an awesome combo. And I learned a lot about, “Setting Your Freelance Fees.”

But I’m not here to talk about something they already covered so well there.

I am excited about sharing something she said, however.

Remember Your Worth

Laura talked about knowing your worth as a freelancer. She said to make sure to treat yourself at least as well as a corporation would treat you. Now she was talking about the importance of giving yourself a raise at least once a year. But I think this also applies in other ways as well.

Sure your 9-5 boss may not say, “Hi” to you in the hall, care about your kids or make sure you get 8 hours of sleep at night. But he/she does give you benefits, vacations, sick days and an annual raise (or at least they should).

Are you doing the same?

We work at homers, freelancers and entrepreneurs need to remember that we deserve just as much, if not more, time for rest, relaxation and benefits.

This means contributing to your own retirement plan (Full-time bloggers Young House Love’s John & Sherry explain how they do it here.), taking time off for vacation (holidays here we come!) and for rest when we’re sick.

Yes, we stay at homies get sick too sometimes!

Healthy Freelancer, Healthy Business

It’s easy to neglect your health when you’re at home. I mean, come on, you got freedom to watch TV, read a book, take a walk. Why concern ourselves about health? Health, schmealth right?

But it is important. And the more you invest into your business, the more important it is to do so.

Why?

It’s all too easy to become a workaholic when you’re working for yourself. There’s no one to tell you to stop and there’s lots to gain by working harder and longer. However, working long hours and skipping out on breaks and vacations are okay in the short-term, but not so great in the long-term.

If you keep doing that over a long period of time, your health (financially, physically and psychologically) will suffer.

And who wants that?

Why work so hard to leave your corporate job and then dump on yourself as a freelancer?

Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself at the very least the way a company would treat you. And remember your worth as a freelancer/entrepreneur.

Now go out and take a break why don’t you?!