There are people out there who need you.
Not all of them have money.
Not all of them have time.
Not all of them are motivated.
Not all of them understand what it takes to get results.
If you’re on a secret mission to save the world, you’ll feel that especially the people with no money, no time, no motivation and no perspective NEED your help.
If only you could make them see.
If only you could offer them some of your expertise.
If only you could help them in some way to get the ball rolling.
So you give them your time for free. You do things for them that they should be able to do themselves. You squeeze around their schedule. You cheer them on.
And you get little in return.
But it’s ok! Because you can see that divine spark, that potential, that yellow brick road that will take them home… if only you can get them to take the first step.
And the next one. And the next one. And…
And before you know it, you have a bunch of clients like this. You don’t get paid, not really (there is always a good reason). You spend more and more time and energy on them, even though little happens in terms of results (it’s just a matter of time you assure yourself). You feel deflated, but you don’t feel justified in feeling low (after all, those clients are worse off than you! what do you have to complain about???)
So you keep going. But hopefully, one day, you meet your “last-straw” desperation client.
You read them the book. Go home to complain to your spouse. Then, things click. You realise the “evil” inevitable:
You don’t actually enjoy working with people like this!
Pfffff
Are you allowed to think it?
Let alone say it?
Yes you can and yes you need to.
Unless you have a trust fund, a foundation, a wealthy backer or some other way to make your work into a charity that doesn’t bleed you dry, you will need to say no to clients who can’t invest, can’t be bothered, and just can’t get anything done somehow.
(If you had a charity, it would be smart to say no to most of these people too, but you would have a bit more space in terms of being able to help people who couldn’t invest financially, as long as they were sufficiently motivated and action-oriented.)
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