I try not to overdo it on desserts, but the 4^th of July is coming (U.S. Independence day), and my family’s having a cookout, so I’m thinking it might be a good excuse to make a pound cake.

That means I need to take myself to the store, pick up butter, cake flour, cream cheese (because everyone knows that’s the best kind of pound cake) bring it home, and get started softening butter, whipping in sugar, separating eggs, and careful, careful baking.

Contrast that with grabbing a dry Entenmann’s and rolling up to my uncle’s house with a blue and white box.

We all know which one tastes better, and, aside from having to explain to my family what got into me, we all know which takes longer.

On a podcast today, I heard someone say that 4 years into freelancing, you really know what you’re doing. When I first heard that, it sounded ridiculously long…I mean, normally I heard 2 years to get your career rolling, but 4??? People get full-on degrees in less time.

Then I thought…freelancing means building a career from scratch. Of course it takes that much longer.

Whenever you feel like it’s not happening for you, remember that…you’re making a career from scratch. Be patient, with the process, and with yourself.

Megan.