What are you waiting for…the cable guy to show up, to hear if you got the job, the release of the next iPhone, a friend who’s late to lunch?
Because feelancers have so many irons in the fire, we’re often waiting for news about many things–whether our manuscripts or articles will be requested or bought, if we’ll get that new client or assignment, when our agents (literary or talent) will call. Everyone’s waiting for something, but some handle it better than others.
Why is waiting often so difficult, so frustrating? You’re not actually doing anything.
One reason is sometimes you can’t make plans until you find out, say, if you’re booked on a given day. Another reason could be that we want good things to come our way, our efforts to pay off. Maybe we don’t like the sense of power or control others seem to have over us as they make decisions that impact our incomes and future. Sometimes closure, even if the result isn’t what we’d hoped, is preferable to not knowing.
Those of us whose lives often revolve around waiting need to find ways to enjoy and appreciate or at least tolerate the journey. Logically we know sitting by the phone or checking our e-mail every five minutes won’t make responses come any faster, yet the urge is there.
What seems to help is keeping busy, focusing my energies and time on other projects instead of dwelling on when news will arrive. Some may choose to sit back and think that fantastic job, book deal or national TV commercial is just around the corner, so there’s no point working all that hard now. Others move forward with what is and keep creating additional opportunities. They don’t rely on supposition–what if X or Y happens. If they get some sort of windfall, great, but they know they can’t count on it.
About a year ago I wrote a related post on Anticipation.
They say patience is a virtue. What can you do to make waiting easier?
