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Freelancing can be lonelier than eating a delicious meal all by yourself. Done wrong, freelancing is not just bad for the soul - it can inhibit your professional growth. Truly worthwhile professional development requires interpersonal interaction and feedback. There's no need to starve yourself of those things just because you don't work full-time.

I humbly offer up this little recipe, which I've used to feed my professional self during the past six months. It's no culinary gem from Julia Child, but it keeps me sated and whole.

1 part-time job

Having a place to go to work, even if only once a week, is healthy. You get to interact with colleagues, receive feedback, and keep your face-to-face communication skills fresh. Part-time work comes in all flavors, and even if it's inconvenient, the discipline and interpersonal contact are worth it. My part-time jobs happen to be teaching gigs. Without them, freelance life would taste mighty dull.

2 substantive contacts with former coworkers per month

Everybody knows it's smart to maintain your professional contacts. But that shouldn't just mean touching base with your references. Seek out real, regular interactions with former colleagues. If lunch at the old office isn't feasible, there's always a sustained IM chat on Facebook, an outdoor activity, or an invitation to dinner at your home. Such connections maintain continuity in your life. They also help you stay on top of what's happening in your industry in a way that mere consumption of media can't.

1 major learning experience a quarter

When you work for yourself, it can be hard to find new learning opportunities. To be sure, some independent work, such as starting a business, has learning built right into the main course. Figuring out how to manage a payroll is, after all, a stick-to-your-ribs lesson. But without automatic experiences like that, you need to create chances to learn. Menu options include taking a class, attending a conference, and volunteering. I'm all for working on a laptop in pajamas while eating homemade brownies, but you have to get out of the house to refine your palate.

2 performance reviews a year

"What? You gotta be kidding! I thought I left all that behind." No, my friend, you still need your vitamins. When you're on your own, writing an honest self-review every six months is a dietary must. Yes, that means 1-to-5 ratings on key outcome measures, including financial performance, and a narrative reflection that you share with a trusted adviser, perhaps one of those former coworkers you see twice a month. A self-review need not be a bitter pill, just a healthful portion of clear-headed reflection. If you're willing to try a more exotic type of self-examination, write a blog about life as a freelancer. But that meal, I must warn you, has to be cooked more than twice a year.

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