What's It Worth To You?

If you read enough job postings and articles about freelancing, you can make yourself pretty crazy about the value of anything. Juxtaposed with ads that expect you to offer your services for barely more than (or not even as much as) it costs you to get to and from work and pay a sitter while you're working are columns reminding you that under-charging for your work makes people under-value that work.
 
So, how do you know what anything's worth in a world where something for nothing has become fairly close to the norm? Some thoughts....
 
1. If you're learning enough from it that it has some of the value of taking a course, it's probably worth doing--as long as the costs associated with doing it don't add up to way more than any course would cost.
 
2. If it takes time from your family and gives no value--monetary or otherwise--back to you or your family, it's probably not worth doing.
 
3. If it is a step toward or a step forward or even just a step in a new direction, it's probably worth doing.
 
4. If the something for nothing is likely to occupy your brain more than the work itself, it's probably not worth doing.
 
5. If it's for a friend who will still be a friend, it's probably worth doing.
 
6. If it's a step back with not even a sign of a step forward, it's probably not worth doing.
 
7. If it will increase your value--in self-worth, or bill-paying capacity, or new skill sets--it's probably worth doing.
 
8. If you have to wonder, not once, but over and over, if it's worth doing, there's a good chance it's not worth doing.
 
In a work world that is turned upside down, it's easy to lose sight of your own worth. Yet, that's the most important time to hang on to the value you have to offer. What's it worth to you? As long as you don't forget to ask that question, you're a step closer to being appreciated for your full value.