Just say no

I dislike saying no to a project. As a freelancer, my work comes sporadically; I can have a week or two so intense I barely sleep. These peaks are typically followed by valleys of near thumb twiddling. I so fear the slow weeks, I tend to over-commit. Oh, you've done that too?

Why do we feel like we need to take on so much? I know my limitations, but I tend to turn a blind eye to them. I always - won't I ever learn? - paint a much rosier picture than reality turns out to be. So, my goal is to be choosier. I will do less, which means I'll make less. But more importantly, I'll sleep more and spend time with my family. Hmm, maybe that's what they mean by discriminating taste.