Nothing is as exciting as being able to finally become your own boss! Over 57 million Americans currently work wherever and whenever they want as freelancers, and that number is expected to grow exponentially in the next decade.
Whether you call them freelancers, digital nomads, or remote workers, one thing is for sure: they have to structure their workdays just like everyone else.
Just like with any job, there are tips and tricks to staying on top of your workload and organizing your daily tasks so that you can stay on track and meet your clients’ deadlines.
The Best Way to Organize The Working Day of a Freelance Writer!
What do people do wrong?
First, let us start with what can make it difficult for a freelance professional to organize their workday. Often freelancers find these issues to be the main culprits that make it difficult get daily work completed:
- Lack of Routine
- No Plan of Action
- Disorganized Filing System
- FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
- Workspace not conducive to productivity
- Unbalanced Work/Life Ratio
- Shifting Workloads
How to Overcome the Challenges!
While it is easy to fail as a freelancer, the key to success is treating your freelancing work the same you would at any job, freelance or not. Communication, daily tasks, optimizing your workspace, and following a time schedule are all things that you would need to do at another job and freelancing is no different.
Create A Solid Routine That Works For you!
It is vital that you structure your work day based on your clients’ needs and the work that is required. If your clients are all based in a time zone behind yours it might be better to create a routine that starts in the evening when all your clients are online and available to communicate with you and vice versa. If you find that your clients are all based on a time zone ahead of yours then working in the early morning is ideal for the same reasons.
For maximum productivity during your freelance workday, you should be sure to address the following concerns:
- What time will I wake up in the morning?
- How will I prepare for the work for the day?
- What time will I start working each day?
- What will I do with my free time before I start working?
- If I need a break from work, what will I do that will provide a break and motivate me to get back to work?
- What days will be for what tasks? (Communication, research, work, completion, etc)
- What time will I stop working?
- How will I end the day to decompress from the workday?
Creating a solid routine for how you decide to handle daily tasks is the best way to make sure that you stay on track when completing your daily freelance work.
Get And Stay Organized!
The hardest part for most freelancers isn’t creating lists and tasks to accomplish, it is sticking with them and seeing them through to completion. This can lead to being backed up on work, not meeting deadlines, and worst of all – losing clients.
Taking a small amount of time before (and after) you work to list out and prioritize all of the tasks you need to accomplish for the day is a great way to help you reach your daily freelance work. Your list should include:
- Projects that need to completed that day
- Projects that need to be started that day
- Projects that need to be continued that day
- Clients that need to be contacted about deadlines, project issues, etc
A freelancers’ list of daily tasks can (and some say should) include things to do to give yourself breaks in the day. Make sure to add the following leisure activities to your schedule to break of the day and keep you energized and motivated to complete your work:
- Meals
- Exercise
- Social Media
- Personal Errands
Create A Positive And Productive Work Environment!
A big challenge to freelancing can sometimes be more about where you work rather than how you work. Having a space that is drab, unmotivating, or full of distractions can be a big hindrance to getting your daily freelancing tasks completed. Make sure to organize your workspace with these things in mind:
- Is it comfortable?
- Is it full of distractions?
- Does it have what I need? (Food, WiFi, etc)
- Does it make me feel productive?
Some freelancers prefer to create a space in their home that is dedicated only to work. Others prefer to start working right in bed, on the couch, or, in some cases, on the beach. Other freelancers prefer to be around people who are working as well. There are a growing number of coworking spaces that are being set up in cities around the USA that include food, beverages, great wifi, privacy rooms, among other benefits.
Making the Most of Your Freelance Workday!
While employing these tricks can be of great assistance to organizing and completing your daily freelance work, there are other things you can do to keep track of your time and projects.
Utilizing the variety of time management apps on the market is a great way to help you keep track of time spent on projects, money coming in and out, and daily tasks that need to be completed.
Apps from companies like TimeCamp are perfect for keeping track of a variety of work statistics and can be essential in keeping a freelancer organized and on task.
Freelancers writers that find themselves overworked or pressed for time to complete the day’s projects sometimes seek out the help of professional writers to assist them with their work. A company like EssayTigers, for example, is a common go-to for those looking for professional writing experts to help shoulder their freelance writing workload.
The Takeaway
Being a freelancer gives you the ultimate control of working where and when you want. Learning to anticipate, organize, and manage your daily tasks is the key to successfully organizing your freelance workday.
You might need to try new routines, different workspaces, or even a whole new location, that lets you find the optimal routines and habits you need to complete all of your daily freelancing tasks quickly, professionally, and most importantly – on time!
Author’s bio:
Stacey Wonder is a content marketer and a freelance writer who works for EssayTigers, a writing service for students. Her favorite topics are education, career, and self-development. Also, Stacey likes to write about content marketing sharing essential tips with other professionals. When she is not busy with her projects, Stacey creates detective stories and dream to become a creative writer one day.