You are allowed to let go
When you let go of someone, you are not demeaning them. You are respecting a boundary that is important to you. And often, it is the right thing to do.
Raw and Real Conversation
Earlier this year, I used to work with a business tycoon.
Like one of those with 4 digit crores of net worth.
He had an excellent track record and wanted a ghostwriter.
All well. So far.
However, once we started working, things were not good.
Here is what happened:
I am someone who delivers work to every client on one day of the week. It allows me my creative freedom through the rest of the week while making sure we stick to a process.
More often than not, they share their feedback with me on time.
It has worked very well.
However, this client wanted me to share with them on WhatsApp what I was working on.
Every day.
Do it on WhatsApp.
And then send them reminders after non-responses and chit chat the entire day on feedback.
Such an acute waste of time.
Why not do the entire work together on email and then let’s get out of each other’s hair for the entire week?
I did try to do that too, but then it became some feedback on emails and still yearning for work updates on WhatsApp every morning.
Well, here is the problem:
I am a baby of focus.
My morning hours are my most productive hours, which is when I get most my work done.
Even if he wanted to chat over WhatsApp about work during the afternoon, it was a sheer waste of time. Just to open WhatsApp in itself is a sheer waste of time, but that’s beside the point.
Eventually I realised sometimes some people operate differently and you cannot do anything about it.
Maybe he feels the same about me too, and that’s fine.
If someone has built a million dollar empire and is suggesting a different working style, who am I to question him?
I did not.
After trying for serveral months, I moved out of that engagement amicably,
Lo and behold, the next day of our engagement ending, my focus increased 300%. So did I get my spark back.
Now, I get it, it is not easy to let go of a high profile client.
I would sell my kidney to have him in my profile.
But that was the problem—I was required to sell something more than my kidney, i.e., my focus. Something that is my most valuable asset. I guess for all of us.
So, what is the point I am trying to drive home?
You can do good work only when you are focused.
If you have to be a little crazy to protect your focus, so be it. Not everyone is going to understand you.
No one knows you like you do. Not your fam, not your bae, not your bestie. Which also means no one could help you like you do. I even had an intuition at the start of that work engagement to not begin in the first place. Suppress your intuition and it makes you pay.
Far too often we are stuck in a brand name even when being associated with that brand is hurting us. It is important to know the difference between hurt and hard work, and let go of the former.
I am someone who understands humility, and often bends herself to accomodate for her clients. But there is a difference between bending and breaking. It is only the person in the mirror that needs to know that.
I often come across this quote from Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, who talks about having a conversation:
I had the conversation which broke the work relationship, but perhaps saved myself.
To drive point home, this post is NOT about:
Let go of millionaire clients because they do not understand you. Nope. I work with a lot of other millionaires and the work relationship has been awesome.
This post is about learning how to work with people who respect what you bring to the table and do not need babysitting.
2 Raw One-Liners:
To have a lot of money and not a lot of self-blabbering mouth is an asset we should speak about often.
You cannot acknowledge yourself for being a rude person and get away with it. It’s outright irresponsible and lacks social responsibility.
3 (for) Real things I am grateful for:
I got a custom standing desk and chair designed as per my height. (So excited for it, I might write another post about it altogether, giving you a desk tour. Would you like to see it?)
I am working superfast on a book that is just writing itself through me. It is actually a divine intervention, and I have never been so intellectually stimulated. I have a feeling I will end up writing a 60,000 word book in less than 10 days.
You all. I am btw going to reach out to some of my consistent readers to review this above book, instead of reaching out to celebrities. Real customer for real reviews. It’s just going to be so beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow :)
Alrighty then, I’ll see you next week.
(Also, today we are late because (a) I procrastinated on scheduling this earlier, and (b) I woke up very early morning to make this on time but slept after meditating, so, I hope you understand :)
In an excited phase of life,
Nishtha Gehija
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