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One of the best ways of how to say no as an independent professional is definitely the phrase “I’m fully committed.”
As Oliver Burkeman noted in a recent issue of The Imperfectionist, this phrase is as firm as it is polite:
“[It] may win the prize in the long-running quest to find the right form of words for saying no to a request for your time – without leaving any wiggle room, but also without being needlessly unpleasant to the asker. … It’s stronger than merely saying you have lots on your plate at the moment, which leaves open the possibility of adding something more. But it takes responsibility for the situation, too; it’s not that the other person’s request is low in value, just that my schedule happens to be full.”
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Do you find it really, really hard to say “no” to people? Fear not. We all do, as illustrated by this collection of 31 How to say no templates, including some sourced from well-known public figures like Naval Ravikant, Tim Ferris, and James Clear.
Most are fairly polite and friendly ways of declining offers, invitations, and the like. One notable exception is this response from Steve Jobs on behalf of Apple’s media relations team: “Please leave us alone.”
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Have you ever heard of midlancers or midlancing? These unusual words have been around for a while. They describe an atypical work arrangement somewhere in between freelancing and regular employment, as explained in a short article by Anna Janssens:
“As a midlancer, you work independently, but you are tied to a midlance agency. This means that you are not self-employed, but have the status of an employee. The advantage of midlancing is that you get many different assignments to work on. This makes your job very varied.”
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One of the themes mentioned in Steven Pressfield’s JRE interview that we shared last week is a prayer to the Muse from the opening of Homer’s Odyssey. It may sound strange, but Steven and other writers, artists, and creators know the prayer by heart and rely on it to gather strength and creativity.
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Ta-da! World-renowned author of The War of Art, Turning Pro and other great books for creatives of all kinds, Steven Pressfield was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. It's about 3 hours long:
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If you are interested in stock investing, our latest must-read is The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, which explains why it is best for ordinary people to invest in index funds (e.g. based on S&P 500).
The book was written by the legendary investor John Bogle — the de facto creator of index funds and founder of Vanguard. In the updated 2017 edition, he compares traditional mutual index funds to exchange-traded funds (aka ETFs) and discusses all important aspects of investing in them.
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Here’s a new testimonial from our member Lucie Strechova, a globetrotting producer of exhibition stands and showrooms:
“Freelancing.eu is a platform rare to find. Unique, extremely well organized and run by an amazing professional Robert Vlach who really knows his business very well and makes sure you always get most of your profile. My decision to join Freelancing.eu was one of the crucial ones in my professional career. Thanks to this platform & cooperation with Robert, I have received cooperation offers that opened new horizons for me. If you want to be part of something bigger, part of something that really makes sense in your professional growth, then you should not hesitate any longer and join Freelancing.eu. I can only highly recommend it!!!”
⭐ Are you a freelancer too? Join us and reach out to new clients.
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Long-term reliability is one of the most important success factors in freelancing because clients rely on both our expertise and its delivery.
Nick Maggiulli, the author of Just Keep Buying, recently wrote about this topic. Become an uncertainty killer, he suggests, pointing out that reliable people build trust at every turn and create allies wherever they go. His career advice is as reliable as it is simple:
“Do it with everyone you work with. Practice reducing uncertainty so that it becomes second nature to you. Practice it until you become an uncertainty killer. Then watch what happens.”
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Artificial intelligence is a hot topic among freelancers right now. But relatively little is being said about the risk it poses. This is what Toby Ord describes in his book The Precipice, about existential risks and the future of humanity.
Ord describes general artificial intelligence as one of the greatest risks facing humanity in the coming century. As a proponent of effective altruism, he ends the book by trying to motivate readers to get involved in their professions to prevent this and other major threats.
If you work in IT or are interested in the future of AI, this is a book not to be missed.
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