What’s Up Wednesdays: The Best Part of Waking Up

I’ve never been a morning person and perhaps that’s part of the reason why I embarked on this freelance journey nearly a full decade ago. After becoming a father, however, everything changed and I’ve been forced to alter my sleep routine. If you’re like me or you’re otherwise undergoing similar life changes, you may want to check out a recent post by Michelle Riklan that outlines some key tips for waking up early in the morning. Have you tried the inverted snooze strategy?

Speaking of freelancing, you will be faced by many challenges when you go into business for yourself. As Andrew Blackman explains, you’ll have to think about what to do when you get sick. At a “regular” job, you can call in sick and take the day to rest. When your own business is your livelihood, you don’t get paid if you don’t work. Don’t be a hero and force yourself into the home office only to deliver substandard work for your clients.

Continuing with this week’s speedlink, Jack Steiner gives his thoughts on cluttered mind syndrome and fighting his “own personal Hydra, a fictional construct created inside my own melon.” My brain works in much the same way, bouncing from idea to idea. If I don’t write it down, I’ll probably forget about it. Sometimes, you just need to do a mental dump to regain your clarity. Sometimes, simplicity is what you need.

Thanks to the power of the Internet, we are more connected than ever before. However, Julie Maida reminds us that social media does not replace real human relationships. You can have hundreds or even thousands of “friends” on Facebook and still feel lonely. In her own words, “I have a ton of friends who don’t know me,” while her “real life” friends are “often busy being awesome and saving the world.” Fair warning that Julie does use some colorful language in her post.

And finally, Stacey Robinsmith explains why he doesn’t attend festivals as a general rule of thumb. The Metro Vancouver area is home to many festivals catering to a very broad range of interests. We’ve got music festivals, food festivals, craft festivals and even an annual candy festival. Stacey wants no part of them for one big reason: lines. I still don’t understand why people are willing to line up for a free tote bag.