What lost glasses taught me about slow weeks

It was 2 a.m. on a long flight home from Europe. Lights dimmed, everyone half-asleep … except for us.

My husband had … somehow … managed to lose his glasses.  And of course, he wanted me to help him find them. 

We searched for ages, twisting and crawling and half-laughing, half-panicking. He even nearly got himself stuck under the seat.

Finally, he did what he should have done much earlier. He called the flight attendant.

Two minutes later, the glasses were back on my husband’s (relieved) face.  They had gotten stuck in the one spot we hadn’t thought to check (but the flight attendant knew where to look because he knew tons of people lose stuff there).

The whole thing reminded me how often freelancers and other business owners (myself included) waste energy on big, exhausting searches to find clients when a small, smart move, like asking for help or checking out one overlooked place or tip, could make a difference so much faster.

My point?

Quiet weeks when it feels like you've become invisible to your clients can feel scary. But those quiet weeks are also your chance to find the thing or take the action you’ve been overlooking (ahem...or avoiding) that will help you increase your chances of success.

So instead of forcing big projects or chasing every possible lead, try one small, strategic action that works quietly in the background.  It might be:

• A simple quiz or survey to learn what your clients actually want
• An automated follow-up email sequence for when you send out a pitch and get crickets in return (and can't come up with the energy to reach out again)
• A short email that reconnects with past clients

Small actions compound. They don’t just fill time.  They build systems that support you when things get busy again.

When you shift from “doing more” to “doing the right small thing,” you stop reacting and start steering.

Your Turn to Take Action:

What’s one small, useful thing you could set up this week that your future self will thank you for?

If you're not sure, open your (far too long) task list and pick one thing that constantly nags at you. Now ask,

“What’s the smallest version of this I can do right now that would still move me forward?”

It might be one follow-up email, one updated portfolio piece, or one short automation.

Or maybe it’s sketching out your first paid resource, updating your About page, or testing a new offer. Quiet weeks don’t last forever, but the systems and income streams you build in them do. The goal isn’t to build faster, it’s to clear the clutter so growth has space to happen.

So have a think about what you CAN do.  It will be worth it.

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And that’s it for this week.

Please note that as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  That means that if you click on one of our affiliate links (these are clearly identified) then we will receive a small commission, for which we thank you.  It helps us keep on providing informative posts that help you build your freelance writing career and business.