You Don’t Have to Take That Project

Brad Bartlett
3 min readFeb 20, 2024

Thoughts about saying “No” and making space.

We all get those projects that just don’t feel quite right.

You know the ones I’m talking about — the projects that suck the life right out of you even just thinking about them.

As freelancers and creatives, it can be so tempting to say yes to everything that comes our way, especially if we’re worried about when the next gig will come along.

But here’s the thing: you don’t HAVE to take that project.

I know it feels like if you say no, this might be the last opportunity you get.

But let me assure you, that is absolutely not the case.

When we get into the mindset of scarcity and fear around projects, we end up taking on work that doesn’t fulfill us just because we’re afraid to say no.

Why We Feel Like We Can’t Say No

I know it’s easier said than done to just say no when an opportunity comes along.

There’s a lot of pressure as a freelancer or creative to say yes to everything. After all, who knows when the next project will come along, right?

Here’s why we tend to feel like we can’t say no:

Scarcity Mindset

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Brad Bartlett

Professional Freelance Copywriter. (www.bradleebartlett.co) Musings on #freelancing, #productivity, #self-development, and more!