Cold Pizza

Last night I wrote a proposal for a web development project requiring expedited service. I spent hours crafting it, researching market rates, and fighting the urge to undercut my prices. The whole time, a voice in my head kept saying "lower your rate, get the job." I finished the proposal and hit send, rates unchanged.

Standing firm on my rates, despite the internal pressure, felt a bit like enjoying a slice of cold pizza, technically satisfying, but lacking the same instant gratification of that glorious, hot, melty, ooey-gooey, extra-cheesy, goodness that a signed contract brings.

Why share this? Because it happens and because managing stress is just as important as managing projects. There's a constant balance between taking opportunities and maintaining healthy boundaries, and it's something we need to talk about more openly in our community.

To me, the value I place on myself and my work is more important than a quick financial gain, especially while working with a stress-inducing, expedited timeline. While financial security is important, I feel that undervaluing my skills can have detrimental effects on my self-esteem and long-term career prospects. It can lead to self-doubt, limit my earning potential, and potentially trap me in less fulfilling career paths. By valuing myself and charging accordingly, I am investing in my long-term success, as well as my own well-being and self-image.

I want to discuss something crucial in the dev community: protecting our mental health while gaining experience as paid professionals. Between client deadlines, continuous learning, and the pressure to perform, it can be challenging to maintain balance. Good practices can make a difference. I myself am admittedly, as they say, still learning on the job, but I am also focused on improving daily by learning to manage my work-life balance more effectively.

Before taking on any project, we should consider several key factors. We need to ensure we have the systems in place to effectively manage the workload, including sufficient buffer time for unexpected challenges. We should also evaluate how the project will impact our ability to maintain a healthy routine and ensure the project timeline allows for proper planning and execution.

Writing proposals is part of the business. It's about being clear about what value we can provide. And SPOILER ALERT, proposals are sometimes declined. That's okay - it's simply part of the process. Not every opportunity is going to work out, and that's actually healthy. It means we are setting clear boundaries about our worth and our ability to deliver quality work within the requested timeline. These boundaries also ensure that we are able to provide a high-value product and exceed customer expectations.

The freelance journey often involves learning about sustainable practices. This can mean blocking out focused work time, reaching out to other developers for advice, maintaining regular hours, and sometimes declining rush requests that would compromise production quality, or our own well-being.

Sustainability requires establishing clear boundaries around work hours, staying organized with regular planning sessions, connecting with other developers for support, and ensuring there's time for both focused work and proper breaks. As freelancers, we should also leave room in our budgets to bring other developers on when we need help. We should NOT be afraid to ask for assistance when we need it. These aren't just nice-to-haves, they're essential for long-term success.

It's worth considering that project deadlines and client pressure aren't the only challenges we face. Imposter syndrome, the competitive landscape, and the constantly evolving industry all play a role in our stress levels.

We can experiment with different techniques to improve focus and manage stress. Meditation has been particularly helpful for me lately. I'm currently on a 5-day meditation streak, which feels like a major win for my mental health.

Finding a balance between prioritizing our well-being and ensuring our financial stability is crucial. Valuing ourselves and our mental health is not a luxury, but a necessity for long-term success in this field. I’m ok with eating cold-pizza sometimes. This is a marathon, not a race, and this marathon has no finish line. We’re in this for the long-haul, so let’s value our community, ourselves, our bodies, our heath, our skills, and our time. Balance is key.

I don't have all the answers, and I would love to learn from others in this community. Drop a comment below if this resonates with you, or connect with me on Bluesky or X/Twitter.

cover photo from: https://images.pexels.com/photos/9353454/pexels-photo-9353454.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=400