I haven’t had a real job with a real boss since 2000, when I was single and fancy-free and only had to make enough money to pay for Commercial Drive rent and Kraft Dinner.

Over the years, I’ve learned that there are ebbs and flows of freelance work. The trick is to enjoy the ebbs. If you worry too much about when work will arrive, then all your time is spent either worrying or working! So, enjoy the ebbs. But, when you really need work, here’s what you do…

1. Plan a trip. As soon as you book a ticket, a deluge of contracts will appear, threatening your ability to leave town ever again.

2. Start reading a gripping fiction series. Your work will immediately arrive, and you’ll have to ration your reading, or lock the books in a safe somewhere, in order to force yourself into productivity.

3. Book a string of lunch dates and hiking trips. Voila! Your desk will be stacked with projects and you’ll have to work until midnight every evening because your days are too full of socializing.

You see the general theme here. It’s the watched-pot law of freelance work. If you want it to boil, you have to look the other way.