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Showerthought: the $30 notebook that keeps me from working free

I spent $30 on a dedicated project notebook at Staples last week and started writing down every single client request as it comes in, even the tiny ones. Yesterday I showed a client their 7th "quick favor" from the last two weeks and they actually agreed to pay for the extra hours. Has anyone else found a cheap physical system that helps you track scope creep better than apps?
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3 Comments
iris_barnes87
That notebook is just a prop to make you feel better about billing for work you should have charged for upfront. If your clients are pulling "quick favors" that often, you're the one training them to expect free labor, not a notebook solving anything. Track scope creep all you want, but the real fix is learning to say no before the seventh ask, not just collecting receipts after the fact.
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margaret551
It's like when I tried to train my cat to stop jumping on the counter @iris_barnes87, the notebook didn't help. Had to just stop leaving snacks out.
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wyattramirez
Yeah @margaret551's cat probably works cheaper than some of these clients.
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