How to Master Time Management as a Freelancer

Anyone who has ever been a freelancer understands how important time is. If you’re not working, you’re not getting paid. That means time management, as a freelancer, might be one of the most important things you can perfect.

Understanding how to get as much work completed during the day can make or break your freelancing career. Within this article, we’re going to walk you through a few strategies and tools that will help you become more efficient with your time, so you can get more work done.

Come up with a Daily Schedule

One of the biggest perks of being a freelancer is having flexibility. If you want to go to the grocery store in the morning, you can. If you want to go for a run in the afternoon, you can do that as well. Unfortunately, that flexibility can cause the day to slip away without completing your work if you’re not disciplined.

It’s OK to take care of your personal tasks, but you must ensure you set aside the right amount of time to complete your work. So how do you ensure you stay on track and finish everything you need to complete each day? By coming up with a daily schedule.

Start by writing down everything you want to accomplish each day and how long it will take you to complete. Also, think about when you’re the most productive. This will be the time of day when you want to take care of your most essential tasks.

As an example, let’s assume you’re running a coaching business. You’ll also want to schedule a time to respond to emails. Maybe you want to spend time each week focusing on business development. But most importantly, you’ll want to block time each week when your clients can book time with you.

If you use a tool like SimplyMeet.me, you can block off your calendar to finish your must-do tasks and leave the other time slots open to accomplish any personal tasks that need to get done.

Get Rid of Distractions

It can be very easy to find yourself distracted when freelancing from home. Maybe it’s social media or news alerts that pop up on your phone throughout the day.
Filtering out distractions will be one of the best ways to stay productive. So how do you do this? Start by finding a quiet place to work. This needs to be someplace where you won’t fall victim to temptation.

Next, download an app like AppBlock to help avoid distractions from your phone. With this app, you can set up times during the day or week when you can’t use certain apps on your phone. This is a great way to avoid social media or other things that can destroy your productivity.

It’s OK to Say No

Have you ever felt like your workload was getting to be too much? You couldn’t dedicate the attention each of your clients deserved or needed. It is vital as a freelancer to understand that it’s OK to say no to taking on new work.

The success of your business is going to come by being able to provide your clients with excellent service and provide them with outstanding value. Don’t forget that you’re in charge of your schedule and have the power to accept or pass on potential work.

Keep Track of Your Day

Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like you accomplished nothing? Not the best situation to be in as a freelancer. So what can you do to ensure these days don’t become frequent?

Start writing things down

Write down everything you do during the day. This could be sending work emails, taking a client call, or even checking your social media. Include the time you started and the time you finished. Do this for a few days, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how you spend your days. You can then use your collected information to change your habits and ensure your days are more productive.

Take Time Off

When was the last time you took a vacation? As a freelancer, knowing when you should put your work down to take a break can be challenging. But that doesn’t mean it’s not crucial. Giving yourself the time to take some deep breaths and unplug from your day-to-day tasks can make all the difference. Not only does it give you a mental reset, but it can also help manage the overwhelming amount of jobs on your plate.

So if you ever find yourself running low on resources and energy, don’t hesitate to call time out for yourself and focus on relaxation and recovery – because, in the long run, it will improve your time management skills drastically.

Use The Right Tools To Make Your Life Easier

As a freelancer, you’re likely trying to manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously. This can get overwhelming at times. Enter the use of online tools.

Nowadays, you can find numerous digital tools designed to make our lives easier. It could be project management software to help keep track of deadlines or SEO tools that can help you boost visibility and traffic to your business’s website. With the right online tool as part of your routine, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more efficient and productive freelancer and small business owner.

Focus on a Single Task

Some people think they’re more productive when multitasking several things at once. Unfortunately, the opposite is probably true. Studies have shown that multitasking could make you up to 40% less productive.

Instead of trying to accomplish multiple things on your to-do list simultaneously, focus on one item at a time. This will help you concentrate more effectively and avoid making mistakes,

Wrapping It Up

Time management is an essential skill for freelancers, and mastering it can be the difference between success and failure. By following the strategies outlined above, you’ll be well-equipped with the skills to become a time-management expert. With focus, dedication, and hard work, you’ll surely see results in your freelance career.

---

Guest Author Bio: Sean Bryant

Sean Bryant is a digital marketing professional with over 15 years of industry experience. Through his website SeanBryant.co, he’s helping individuals build and scale online businesses.