Wendy Woodhead

If you’ve just turned freelance, managing your own workload after being office-bound can be scary. Here’s 9 tips to organise your time:

1. Make lists

Start by jotting down everything you need to do and put it in priority order. That includes both business and personal engagements. The bonus of working from home is being able to shuffle your day. Making lists helps you identify the pockets of time when you will be able to work at your best.

2. Have a system

Whether that’s Outlook, your phone’s calendar, a scribbled timetable in a notebook or a project management web platform like Trello – break down the day into sections so you literally have an hourly itinerary.

3. Eat a frog

Mark Twain once wrote, “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.”

Brian Tracy took this idea and wrote a book on how to stop procrastinating – by eating a frog (that thing you’ve been putting off) first thing. That email you’ve been putting off or all those invoices you’ve been meaning to input… Simply set aside an hour and get them all done together. Then you can clear those reminders off your phone and get on with the day!

4. Variety is the spice of life

Mix up your schedule. Plan time for your own blog activities, any distance-learning courses, exercise, and hobbies etc. I break the day into 2 or 3-hour slots and ensure there is variety throughout the day so that my work doesn’t suffer. Try to schedule time for that big project that’s been on the back burner. If you don’t make a start now, when will you? Spending just one hour a week on it will help you feel more in control.

5. Take a day off!

Always try to keep 2 days a week free. Freelancers are notorious for working non-stop. When I first started freelancing, I worked almost non-stop for 3 months. Now when work comes in I negotiate deadlines with the client accounting for the fact that I always take Saturday and Sunday for myself.

6. Take stock

Use the end of the working week to take stock of your progress and what you’re going to achieve next week. I do this on Friday evening. It helps wind things up nicely and means I don’t stress over the weekend because I already have a well thought out POA for Monday. Goals to think about might include scheduling time for that ongoing project or approaching a new publication/client.

7. Change the scenery

For all its perks, working from home can turn you into a hermit. Why not pinpoint one or two days a week to work outside of the house? I work in cafes and occasionally pubs (only toward the end of the day!) This helps remind you that you’re still a functioning member of society and can provide a valuable source of inspiration.

8. Use affirmations

Get distracted easily? Devise an affirmation that you can tell yourself every time you sit down to work. It might sound lame but this actually works.

If you tell yourself you’re going to work through without being distracted in order to maximise your time, it acts as an instruction to your brain. When you find yourself absent-mindedly reaching for the internet browser, repeat the affirmation and get back to the job in hand. There’ll be plenty of time for browsing after you’re done.

9. Get out

If the ideas still aren’t flowing or you find yourself distracted regularly, it’s probably a sign to take a break. Get outside and take a walk round the park, or if it’s raining bake a cake. Do something to take your mind off it. When you come back you’ll be refreshed – it works!

Got your own tips for organising your time effectively while freelancing? Post a comment and share with the world!