Being a freelancer can be amazing, but without coworkers to grab lunch with or a manager setting your schedule, it can be challenging to strike a balance. That’s why I wrote these time management tips for freelancers. This guide explores specific strategies freelancers like you can use to work smarter, not harder, so you can finally kiss those chaotic workdays goodbye.
Let’s explore how to maximize your productivity, freeing up more time to do things you enjoy, all while rocking your freelance career. In short, you’ll enhance your time management skills after reading these time management tips for freelancers.
Top 4 Practical Time Management Tips for Freelancers
For many freelancers, one of the greatest perks is the ability to set their own schedules, which Statista predicts over 85 million Americans will be doing in just a few years.
However, as with anyone who has worked from home—whether as a mom or as a virtual assistant—this freedom can be both a blessing and a curse.
While flexibility sounds great on paper, it’s easy for tempting distractions to creep in when you are your own boss. Without careful planning, freelancers can fall into common pitfalls like poor time management, leading to missed deadlines and inconsistent income.
1. Setting Boundaries to Avoid Wasting Time
Setting boundaries is critical for freelancers’ time management tips. This applies to both your personal time, as well as saying “no” to projects.
It’s incredibly tempting to say “yes” to every opportunity when you’re building your business, but saying yes to everything can easily lead to burnout. Saying “no” to some opportunities ensures you can give your full attention to the projects that truly align with your goals.
2. Establishing a Dedicated Workspace
Having a separate area where you “go to work” does wonders for your brain to switch into productivity mode.
It can even be as simple as setting up a small desk in the corner of your bedroom or setting up a shop at your kitchen table for a few hours. This designated work area doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just free from distractions.
Having that physical separation helps create the mental separation between work life and personal life, which can be difficult for those working remotely.
When you’re in this space, you’re in “work mode.” In this mode, it’s easier to complete tasks, and when you’re done for the day, you can leave work behind. This clear distinction can contribute to a healthier work-life balance, allowing freelancers manage their time effectively.
3. Using a Standing Desk (At Least Part of the Day)
Since freelancers are already breaking away from the mold of traditional office jobs, why not upgrade your workday by opting for a standing desk?
Not only can this potentially reduce back pain, one study showed it could even promote healthy weight loss by preventing excess weight gain. Incorporating movement into your workday can also combat that dreaded afternoon slump.
Just remember, when we can’t focus because of body pains or negative feelings, we can’t be productive. And even if we are working during those times, it could be a waste since our output isn’t top-notch.
That being said, as studies suggest, it’s best to mix it up by switching between standing and sitting to ease back pains. You’re already calling the shots with your workday, you might as well set up your workspace for optimal productivity (and comfort).
4. Creating a Schedule (And Actually Stick To It)
The flexible schedule of freelancers, as I’ve mentioned, is both liberating and, frankly, a bit overwhelming at times.
Time management tips for freelancers often involve treating your work day as you would any other job, meaning setting a specific time to start and stop. However, this doesn’t need to be a traditional 9-to-5 setup.
Your daily schedule will depend on the nature of your freelance work or your clients. What matters is that you leverage your most productive time, which means you have to set work hours when your energy and focus are highest.
Ultimately, this flexible schedule lets you capitalize on those peak productivity hours.
5. Taking Real Breaks
It’s so tempting to power through as much work as you can without coming up for air, but studies show that this ultimately decreases your output. Stepping away from your computer to take short breaks can actually make you more productive.
Not only does this boost brainpower and mental health, but regular movement is essential to staying alert throughout the day.
If you need extra help reminding yourself to step away from the computer, consider trying out the Pomodoro method. You can use it for timed sprints of focused work followed by short breaks. This structure provides an easy way to incorporate real, quick breaks into your work time to stay refreshed.
6. Maximizing The Power of Prioritization and Task Management
Even if you’ve established a dedicated workspace, work-from-home distractions are plentiful and enticing. However, with the proper techniques, you can minimize these distractions.
You might be tempted to throw in a load of laundry, finally, tackle cleaning that closet, or suddenly realize just how badly your kitchen floor needs sweeping… all during hours you’ve set work hours.
Use Time Tracking (To See Where Your Day Goes)
As with anything in life, we often have a perception of what we think we do with our time. But the reality of how we allocate our hours can be surprising as they’re considered wasting time, and we don’t even know it.
That’s why you may want to consider tracking your time, even for a day or two, to see exactly how much time common distractions really eat into your productivity.
Not only does time tracking give you an accurate picture of your daily schedule, but it can also reveal opportunities to improve time management skills.
Are you consistently getting sidetracked by social media notifications or spending more time on emails than you realized? Identifying these time-wasters can be the first step toward reclaiming those precious minutes (and boosting your bottom line in the process) toward being a successful freelancer.
Conquer Procrastination by Eating the Frog
The concept of “eating your frog” is one of the best time management tips for freelancers that only a few know. This productivity hack simply means tackling the task you dread the most first thing in the morning.
This could involve organizing your day in terms of importance by listing a high-priority item at the very top. Once you get that dreaded item out of the way, the rest of your day will feel significantly lighter and more manageable.
Experts at Northwestern University also advocate completing tasks that are challenging when your willpower is freshest, which, for many of us, is in the morning. But, again, it depends, so you need to know when your most productive time is.
Explore Different Productivity Techniques
Experimenting with different strategies, like the Pomodoro Technique we mentioned earlier, the Getting Things Done method, or time blocking can significantly help you optimize your daily output and manage multiple projects more efficiently.
Moreover, one of the little-known but incredibly effective time management tips for freelancers is the Ivy Lee method. Created over 100 years ago, this surprisingly simple method involves focusing only on six (or fewer) of your most important tasks each day.
By limiting your daily to-do list to a manageable number, you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to experience a sense of accomplishment as you check things off.
The key is to find what works best for your personality and work style. That way, you can save time since you’re using time management hacks to maintain work-life balance for a freelancer.
7. Don’t Forget the Time Management Tools to Save time
Being organized is great, but even the most Type-A personality can struggle with managing everything from paper files to online documents (not to mention keeping track of various passwords.). Thankfully, numerous tools and tricks of the trade can help freelancers work smarter.
Automate Repetitive Tasks
Think about all the tasks in your day-to-day work that are essentially on repeat: writing similar emails, sending out invoices, or even managing social media posts for your business. One of the common pitfalls of newbies in freelancing is doing these tasks manually.
They start working without using management tools because they didn’t know that tools for freelances can help to reduce the stress that we can gain from mundane tasks.
Why not put marketing emails on autopilot using drag-and-drop email template builders? Doing so frees you up to focus on a single project and other tasks that need your attention the most.
Another is with money transfers.
If you work with clients globally, it might make sense to switch to a more freelancer-friendly bank with features like instant money transfers and lower international fees. While these might seem like small tweaks, those minutes saved each day quickly add up.
By automating repetitive tasks, you set a specific time to dedicate to activities that truly require your expertise and creativity.
Embrace Project Management Apps
While the right project management tool largely depends on your type of work, services like Clockify, a simple and free, time tracking app, or a full-blown project management platform such as Asana are both game changers.
These programs let you monitor where your time goes and bill accurately.
Project management apps are designed to simplify the juggling act of managing multiple projects. They allow users to set specific deadlines, assign tasks, and collaborate with clients or team members—all in one convenient platform.
8. Play Music to Enhance Focus
While listening to your favorite podcast might sound relaxing, auditory distractions actually splinter your focus, pulling you in multiple directions (without you even realizing it.).
Opting for classical music, nature sounds, or even white noise has been proven to increase both concentration and overall work performance. This type of music can create a calming atmosphere without the distracting lyrics or narratives found in other genres.
If you really want to increase productivity, consider listening to Mozart’s music.
It may sound strange, but what’s known as the Mozart effect has been proven to help people tap into creative problem-solving. So, if you’re facing a particularly challenging task, putting on some Mozart might be just the brain boost you need.
FAQs
How to manage time effectively as a freelancer?
You’ll find great success with time management tips for freelancers if you take a strategic approach. Begin by setting a clear structure to your workday by outlining specific hours dedicated to work. Then, designate a distraction-free workspace that helps get you into the mindset to focus.
Moreover, break down larger projects into more manageable tasks and leverages the power of time management strategies like the Pomodoro Technique. You can also track where your time goes so you can pinpoint opportunities for streamlining workflows or delegating work when possible.
Remember, establishing realistic goals, taking regular breaks, and saying no are cornerstones of thriving in the freelance world.
What are the 5 tips in effective time management?
Five potent tips in effective time management tips for freelancers involve creating a prioritized to-do list that you review daily. Add eliminating distractions like email and social media during periods of focused work, and, of course, breaking down big projects into smaller, manageable tasks with clear deadlines.
Again, say “no” more often so you can devote your attention wholly to top-paying clients. Also, utilize time tracking to analyze your current workflow and accurately highlight potential time-wasting habits.
What time management techniques are best?
Time management tips for freelancers revolve around structure and focused effort, just like a traditional job. Once you establish consistent working hours that reflects your most productive times of the day and clearly signals the beginning and end of your workday, choose the most suitable time management technique.
This technique can be the Ivy Lee Method or Pomodoro Technique to break work down into smaller, achievable goals and dedicate a physical space as your office. If one’s not working, try others until you find the right one for you.
How do I organize my day as a freelancer?
A well-organized day for any freelancer is based on structured action.
You can start your day with your most challenging tasks. Then, dedicate set hours to various activities. Batch similar items like answering emails and phone calls. But make sure to take regular breaks (a bonus of being self-employed.) so you don’t burn yourself out.
And don’t feel like those hours have to look like everyone else’s – being your own boss means choosing the times of day when you are the most productive, whether that’s 6:00 AM or 10:00 PM.
Conclusion
Mastering time management tips for freelancers involves setting clear boundaries and taking a structured approach. This is essential to achieving success and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
By setting clear boundaries, prioritizing tasks effectively, and leveraging powerful time management tools, you can streamline your workflow and increase productivity.
Take the first step towards better time management today! Implement these practical tips, experiment with different techniques, and find what works best for you. Remember, the key is consistency and continuous improvement. Start applying these strategies now, and watch your freelance career thrive.
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