Yesterday, I was contacted by someone looking to hire me to present a workshop on four different days in June. The organization had set dates and times and was not only unwilling to alter any of them, but they insisted on having the same facilitator for all four days, even though it was for different audiences.
The intermediary who called me was available for three of the four dates; ditto for me, although with a different conflict. We could easily have made it work for them and provided a great experience, but their inflexibility has left them without a presenter two weeks from when it is necessary.
I am all for holding out to get what you truly want — while it’s reasonable — but at some point, you need to become a bit more pragmatic and adjust your expectations to align with more realistic options. This principle applies not only to this booking but to many other situations. Being rigid with your parameters or holding out too long for the ideal may leave you with a sub-par result if luck isn’t on your side. The sooner you can be flexible, the more alternatives you’ll have.
