Why you keep working for free (and how to stop)
It’s 2024 and it’s time for you to stop doing free work.
Now of course not all free work is bad. But let’s be honest about why most of us actually do it.
We do free work because we don’t feel like we deserve to get paid for it. Perhaps we’re trying to buy good favour and future opportunities.
Or perhaps we’re simply not sure how to ask for money.
At the root of it all is a mindset about how we see the value of what we do.
Let’s talk about this limiting mindset
Nearly always, we do free work because we actually enjoy doing it and we want to help people with our skills.
For example:
- We take photos because we love capturing moments.
- We design a brand because we enjoy the process of visually representing an idea.
- We produce a song for a friend because we love music
Break the lie
But here’s what’s going on beneath the surface. We are often actively believing the lie that if something is easy or enjoyable for us to do, then it is not really true work.
Therefore we shouldn’t get paid.
Can you see how this is so deceptive?
Work is supposed to be delightful
This stems from all sorts of programming in our childhood and even in our churches.
We’re told that following Jesus is about hardship and to get anywhere in life you have to work hard.
We associate work with pain instead of with delight. Thus we give away our best work instead of charging for it.
There is of course some degree of truth in these ideas. There is always an element of every type of work that is less interesting or requires us to persevere.
But taken to an extreme, we can falsely believe that if we are good at doing something then we shouldn’t be charging for it.
No it’s actually the opposite.
The will of God makes you feel alive
God made you with gifts and talents. In fact who you are is a perfect match for what you’re called to do. It would be strange (and definitely cruel) for God to design you any other way.
The reason you are good at it is because you are gifted for it.
And that’s exactly why you should charge for it.
When you work for free, eventually you run out of availability or resentment will build.
Neither of those scenarios is good for the people you seek to serve.
Here are some action steps for you:
1. For chronic overcommitters
Write down a list of your current responsibilities including unpaid work. Now get honest with yourself and ask which are actually outside of your capacity to do.
2. For those afraid of conflict
There will be some areas that you can immediately let go of. Pick up the phone and apologise for having miscommunicated your availability. Be honest. People understand.
3. When you’re in too deep
You may have to finish a project if you’ve dug yourself a hole. But don’t make the same mistake again.
4. If you’d like to get paid
Simply explain that you don’t have the capacity to continue this work for free. Remember when you say yes to one thing, you also say no to something else. If the work you do is truly valued by the client/friend then they’ll find a way to pay.
Some final thoughts
You can still choose to do free work just to help someone or be a blessing (I do this). But just make sure you’re not doing it from a place of fear or scarcity.
Your work is valuable so place value on it. It will save you much disappointment and pain in the future.
13: Build The Back End
My plan for 2024 is to focus on the things that drive success that most of us tend to overlook. The back end (as opposed to the front end) is a fitting metaphor to help us understand what really creates success. It's the things behind the scenes that matter most.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Start a conversation with Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
Want to help the Digital Rabbi podcast?
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12: Four Ways I Changed My Mind About Money
Over the past few years I've made some shifts in the way I think about money. Having a healthy perspective and relationship with money is essential to using it correctly, wisely and making more of it.
This episode will be especially helpful for anyone running a creative business.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Start a conversation with Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
Want to help the Digital Rabbi podcast?
- SHARE it with a friend
- SUBSCRIBE for more
- RATE + REVIEW to let me know what you think
11: Create Cool Stuff, Make Money, Rest + Repeat
This is my vision for you in 2024. Imagine if you could spend your time creating all of the cool stuff God has put on your heart AND get paid to do it. Not only that but escape a life of intense pressure and unhealthy rhythms by keeping rest at the centre.
Most of us have succeeded in a couple of those areas but few have done it without losing their soul in the process. I'm going to share with you what that looks like in this episode.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Start a conversation with Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
Want to help the Digital Rabbi podcast?
- SHARE it with a friend
- SUBSCRIBE for more
- RATE + REVIEW to let me know what you think
10: I Worked Out For 200 Days
2023 will go down as the year I decided to take my health seriously. I share in this episode about what led me to creating a regular habit of working out 5x/week and how I've now worked out 200 days so far this year.
We all want to create disciplines and move forward on our goals but it's also important to make sure we enjoy the journey (otherwise we won't last). When we fall into obsession and robotic behaviour, the fruit is never as good or as lasting as we hoped for. I believe the principles from my journey this year will help you start 2024 strong.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Start a conversation with Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
Want to help the Digital Rabbi podcast?
- SHARE it with a friend
- SUBSCRIBE for more
- RATE + REVIEW to let me know what you think
9: How To Be More Human Online
When we dial in our focus by niching, we tend to get more clarity in our messaging and connect with people better. But I've also found that niching can minimise our unique human qualities and turn us into automated content machines. Don't forget that people want to connect with people so don't censor your unique personality but let it shine through.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Start a conversation with Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
Want to help the Digital Rabbi podcast?
- SHARE it with a friend
- SUBSCRIBE for more
- RATE + REVIEW to let me know what you think
8: The Science of Desire
Wouldn't it make a lot of sense if God made us to feel energised and excited about the things he created us to do? And yet so many people hold the false concept that if it feels easy or good then it's probably not from God. Today we're talking about how to redeem our desire and use it to make better decisions, become more effective and enjoy life more.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Follow Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
7: Building Something That Lasts
We're drawn to the things that promise us instant results but I've realised that most of the time the things that come quickly also disappear quickly too. What we really want is to build something of permanence that lasts.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Follow Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
6: Rest Is Not An Option
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Follow Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co
5: How To Avoid Burnout (7 Keys For Creatives)
In today's episode I share 7 keys to keeping your soul healthy as a creative and protecting yourself from burnout. Contrary to what we might think, burnout is actually the result of 1000 decisions that lead to the slow and gradual decay of the soul even if it's often experienced and seen as one catastrophic event.
USEFUL LINKS
Use the coupon code SATS for 10% lifetime discount for the below:
- The Church Co at https://thechurchco.com
- Capture Collab at https://capturecollab.com
Follow Sats on Instagram @satssolanki
Find helpful resources and tools for cultivating the future at https://digitalrabbi.co