Being a freelancer can be really great. Not only are you your own boss, with only yourself to really have to answer to, but you can also set your own hours, work when is best for you, and you can forgo any unnecessary office drama too!
That being said, being a freelancer is not all sunshine and rainbows. It can be significantly hard work, and you essentially end up taking on several roles. To make this work, this requires some serious management, which can get a little overwhelming.
If you are looking for some tips to help you manage everything being a freelancer brings, then look no further than this piece, and read on to find out more.
Create Priority Based To-Do Lists
One of the best ways to help you manage your time is to make a list of everything that needs to be done for the day ahead. Please note – the list itself also has to be manageable, or else you are setting yourself up to fail. Many of us want to make the most of our time, but it can run out and be bedtime before you have even blinked, so making sure you write your list according to priority will help ensure you get what you need done.
There are a few ways to do this, and it can depend on personality type. Some like to pick the hardest task first to get out of the way; some like to do a couple of smaller, more manageable tasks first to get those productivity juices flowing. There is no wrong or right way, as long as it works for you.
Invest in a Hot Desk
Working from home can be distraction central, especially if you are working in your kitchen near the fridge or your front room near Netflix. There is no one to concern themselves if you are scrolling through TikTok, and no one to stop you from having a 2-hour nap. Sure – this is part of the freelance dream, but discipline is also needed for success, and sometimes having a separate place away from our homes can really help put our minds into focus. It is much easier to train the brain that “this place means work” if that is the designated area for it, which can be much harder to do when we are working from the place we live! A hot desk from thebrew.co.uk can solve those issues and give you a professional space to liaise with others.
Use Time Management Methods
Many of us know the feeling when we are waiting for someone who will be just “ten minutes”, and you can guarantee the experience for each person is completely different!
It is one thing to know you have ten minutes left to complete something; it is another to understand what 10 minutes actually feels like. Having a time management method in front of you, such as the Pomodoro Technique, will remind you consistently about how you are using your time, especially if you have the timer visible at all times. This is a great technique for those who want to focus on “deep work” and make the most of the time they have allocated. Time blocking is also another useful technique for those who don’t want to see their lives counting down before their eyes.