The one thing that can steal our attention the fastest

How often are you frustrated by non-stop text messages from clients checking in on the progress of their photos? The irony is, often if they didn’t message you, you’d be able to focus better on delivering their work, right? 

Thanks to technology, we are *super* easy to get in touch with, and our attention can get stolen.

But, just because someone has access to us 24/7, we can still set the rules on how, when, and to whom we give our attention. We are not required to respond instantly every time, especially if it’s during a time when we need to disconnect and rest.⁠

When a client messages you, first remember this: you don’t owe them an immediate response.

Just because we live in a world where any random person on the planet can make a notification appear in the palm of your hand doesn’t mean we have to give power to the notification by taking action. We set the rules. We can choose when and how we respond. 

 I think the need to respond immediately comes from a fear that you’ll lose a potential client if you don’t respond fast enough. This isn’t a communication issue, this is a mindset issue. You have to recognize that you’re acting out of fear and scarcity.

I want to give you permission to let go of fear of losing a client.

Instead, remind yourself that there is enough to go around for you- enough clients, enough money, enough time. 

And although the constant messaging is frustrating, it might be a sign of some communication break-down on your part, and that’s totally something you can fix to reduce the constant messages. 

You have to manage expectations on the front end, and this is done by clearly communicating that you have office hours, meaning there are times when you’re working, and times when you’re not working. And when a client contacts you outside of office hours, it’s ok to let them know they shouldn’t expect a response right away. 

But let’s say you don’t have set “office hours.” Now is a great time to set some! By having designated work and non-work times, it helps you set clear boundaries, not only for your clients, but also for yourself. You deserve to have dedicated & focused work time, and you also deserve to rest. Take a few moments now to sketch out your general office hours, and everything outside of that is considered personal time.

Then it’s just a matter of repetition. Every possible chance you get, mention your office hours and set a clear expectation for when your clients will hear from you next.

Struggling with managing expectations?

A coaching call can help with that! I’m now accepting new clients.