13 Lessons on Business & Blogging After 3 Years

This was a rough year (so be prepared for an extra dose of sarcasm in this post). I made less money freelancing because I took a crummy full time job, had less web traffic and even had an email blast with an affiliate link that NO ONE clicked on.

But, on a positive note, hooray! It’s my third year blog-aversary! Here are some lessons on business and blogging to remember.

1 – Pat yourself on the back, even when no one else has first. Ask for that referral. Nominate yourself for that award. The only way to overcome impostor syndrome is to keep succeeding.

2 – Don’t stress yourself out to get to inbox zero. Organize your emails into folders and periodically run through and delete. When you don’t have a great long-term memory, sometimes you do need those old emails.

3 – It’s okay to be digitally tethered when you can’t get out of bed. This is especially true if you suffer from anxiety or depression. Just be extra diligent avoiding mistakes (and find a way to deal with the snoring, if you have a bed buddy).

4 – Find a way to turn your small business into your dream full-time career you can control. Kick out the clients and the work that you hate. Drop the empty and unfulfilling day jobs.

5 – Not everyone hates you. When you fail, it may feel that way. If you’ve already developed a team or an audience, remember they’re rooting for you.

6 – Tenacity is awesome – except for when you need to catch up with a TV show on Netflix. Then it’s very, very bad.

7 – Naps.

8 – Some days, you may have to throw your pre-planned schedule out the window. Except for breakfast, because it’s way important.

No, I’m not being cliche or facetious. Eat. No, coffee doesn’t count, and you really should eat before you drink. (In fact, maybe you should skip the coffee – YES I SAID IT.)

9 – Everything requires a recovery day. Long trips. Horrible interviews. Overnight gaming/date night. Sometimes you need extra time to make up for all of the crazy.

10 – If you can’t let go of grudges or your “enemies,” at least make up for it by being extra kind and grateful to people you meet and the ones you already care about. Hopefully, in time you can let the garbage go.

11 – Don’t just add a buffer day when communicating with someone, especially a potential client, via email. Add a buffer week. For some reason people don’t have a crippling addiction to email like you.

12 – Small victories are everything. Write each and every one down. You took a shower today? GO YOU.

13 – If you can’t be yourself, don’t expect people to listen or connect. Don’t be fake. Unless you’re a jerk. If you’re a jerk, just be quiet.

What are some lessons you’ve learned over the past year?  Spill – I want to hear the good, bad and the ugly.

Also, if you haven’t joined the Freelance Writers Den, it’s the business. It’s literally the only affiliate link I use, because it’s *that* good. They are usually only open for a few days, so if you catch this blog post late, you can get on their waiting list.