Stop counting money you haven't been paid yet

Project Offer

Hey everyone, this is Allan. Today I want to talk about something that happened and got me feeling down for a bit. I had been discussing a project with a client for a week, and I finally received the client’s answer: the deal didn’t close. I was counting on that money, even though I know it’s not a good habit. The price was fine, I understood the problem, and I made an offer with a clear solution that made sense. The client already knows my work and even likes how I work, so price wasn’t an issue.

Reaction

When the client decided not to move forward, I felt really low. I took a break that afternoon to process the news. After a few minutes, my mind, which is always focused on problem‑solving, started asking: “What’s the next step? What do I need to focus on?” I realized I can’t waste time feeling low about myself or my work just because this offer fell through.

Shifting Focus

I brought myself back to reality and asked what I should do next. I’ve been doing this for years, so I know I have to keep moving. I already had another project lined up since last Friday, and I spent some time on it over the weekend. I shifted my attention to that new project right away.

Lesson Learned

The conclusion I reached today is that it’s a bad habit to count on money that hasn’t been received yet. I do it a lot, and I understand how harmful it is. I need to fix my income stream, make it more stable, and set it up so I don’t have to rely on uncertain projects.

Final Note

I was looking at my own handbook while I was feeling down, because writing on paper works better for me than reading something digital. That’s it for today.