Clients, and people in general, are difficult... we all are to a degree. Right?
If you thought "not me" - then you for sure! 😅
Looking back on my freelance career, every time I would get frustrated by a client, whether it was their 'unreasonable' request, late payment, a phone call during the weekend, and so on, it was an opportunity to build resilience and confidence - especially when I was learning to say 'no'.
When we find ourselves in situations with a knee-jerk reaction, we can use that as an exercise to manage our responses. Observing the situation from an outside perspective and looking at our client through the lens of empathy.
Everyone has a bad day. Often we are unaware of everything that is going on in other people's lives, and sometimes, as a service provider, you find yourself at the difficult end of someone's stick. What you need to be aware of at that moment - it's not about you. And then, rather than letting frustration and stress take over, practice patience and understanding.
Each difficult situation that we overcome without succumbing to frustration and negativity is a stepping stone towards personal and professional goals.
When you take in the situation from the client's perspective, manage their expectations, deliver the promised result and forge a win-win outcome, regardless of how small the victory is - you turn adversity into achievement.
And these small victories, even tho sometimes they don't seem like a cause for celebration - they are. You did well and put good back into the world, and that's not a small feat.