The freedom that comes with being a freelancer is oftentimes incredibly liberating, but it also must be respected as well. Just because you can now define your own working hours and tailor your days to suit you, doesn’t mean to say that it’s necessarily an easy thing to do and you may be wondering what’s the best way to manage your time as a freelancer.
Many freelancers believe that the transition from traditional employment life such as working in an office to becoming a freelancer who creates their own working day is seamless; however, that’s not always the case.
In order to be a successful freelancer, you need to work out your most productive times of day. For some, it might be the first few hours in the morning; for others, they may prefer to start work in the afternoon and work late into the evening.
As a freelancer, there’s no right or wrong way to construct your day, as long as it works for you and allows you to complete the tasks that you need to do, that’s all that matters.
The important thing is that you establish a routine that works for you. That might involve following very similar patterns to the ones you followed when you worked at a 9-5 job; those hours might just happen to be your most productive. However, just because one person might work better during “traditional” working hours, doesn’t mean to say that your schedule of working 4 hours in the early morning and then 4 hours in the late evening is wrong. You need to make sure your structure works for you.
It’s also important to bear in mind that where you work is just as important as when you work. For example, while the seemingly-idyllic digital nomad life of working by the pool in Bali, complete with a cocktail in hand, might seem truly aspirational, that might not actually be the best way for you to work.
If you perform best by simply working at a desk, with a structured routine in place, then don’t feel bad for not “fulfilling” the perceived freelancer life.
Top tips to help manage your time as a freelancer
When you’re a freelancer, it can be hard to acknowledge that any time you spend not working, results in you not being paid. Often, there’s a direct correlation as a freelancer between how much you work and how much you earn.
In order to find a suitable work/life balance that ensures you earn your ideal amount of income, while still living a desirable life, you need to find ways to maximise productivity during your working hours, especially when trying to manage multiple clients at the same time.
Prioritise the tasks that need doing first
Many freelancers would agree that it’s best to do your least favourite task first thing in the morning so that you can get it out of the way. However, you should just try and find a working routine that works best for you, but prioritising the most important tasks first is often a sure-fire way to ensure that you work productively and it allows you to get the top priority work done first.
Allocate time for the mundane tasks
As a freelancer, you will likely wear many hats. Not only will you have to complete the work you actually do (such as being a writer, graphic designer or web designer), but you will also have to do tasks such as managing your finances, chasing invoices and finding new clients. Therefore, you need to allocate dedicated periods of time to carry out the more mundane, but essential admin tasks that come with being a freelancer.
Don’t be afraid to delegate
Following on from the point above, if you feel like you’re wearing too many hats as a freelancer and it’s affecting your ability to work as productively as possible, don’t be afraid to hire an assistant in order to delegate tasks.
