Becoming a More Productive Freelancer

Flexibility and time freedom are two of the main reasons why many people enjoy being a freelancer. There is no definite daily structure and schedule on when you should work. You can choose the best time to work on any assigned tasks without going into the office. It gives you the chance to work remotely in any location that you like.  However, when you decide to work a little and watch Netflix instead, you will not earn a decent freelance. Many people struggle to keep up with freelancing life. They face challenges in keeping up with their tasks. To help you, here are the things you can do to become a productive freelancer.

Tips On Becoming Productive As A Freelancer

1. Get An Early Start

Freelancing gives you the freedom to work any time you want. However, having a good early start can help you be ready for the day. While you are not required to get prepared early to freshen up and commute to work, preparing to start your freelance job early in the morning can help you become productive.

Working on a flexible time allows you to do whatever you want or jump right into your computer after you wake up. Moreover, starting early on can help you anticipate problems early on.

2. Set A Clear Schedule

Many people are choosing to become a freelancer to enjoy time freedom. It is a way to shy away from the burden of having a fixed schedule. You can work as much as you like or as little as you want with being a freelancer.

However, if you want to become productive and successful in being a freelancer, set yourself an exact schedule. Having an established daily plan can help you become organized. It will keep you going motivated on whatever task you are working on in your freelancing job.

You can work it out by dedicating an hour every morning to plan your day. You can set time to do phone calls, respond to emails, and the finish started tasks. It would be best to set time to have lunch breaks and other breaks to help you become more effective as a freelancer.

3. Have A Designated Workplace

You might think that your bed can be the most comfortable place to work. Others might want to do on their couch as it provides comfort whenever working on your laptop. Nonetheless, it might not be the most optimal spot to work throughout the day. It can hinder your productivity and slow down your motivation.

The solution for this is having a designated functional workplace. It can prevent distractions and help you become productive. Your workplace does not require you to have an expensive computer set or state of the art furniture. Otherwise, it should have natural lighting and free from any clutter. Your station should also be clean and organized. It should have a natural light flowing in. You can choose to have the plants in your work area or have it painted in soft color. It would be best as well if your working area will be free from any background noise.

4. Find Your MIT

Not all of your tasks should be treated equally. That is because some functions are more important than the other. To avoid being overwhelmed with all charges and deadlines, find your Most Important Task or MIT. It can help you finish tasks that are due soon, so you will avoid cramming. When you are rushing and working on a limited time, it will affect how you deal with a particular task. It can cloud your judgment, as well and will not make you a productive freelancer.

5. Cut Your Distractions

Besides having a functional office and finding your MIT, you need to ensure that your working environment as a whole does not have any distractions. You should not be near any entertainment system like your TV set as it can distract you and help you procrastinate instead.

You will need to make sure you don’t browse on your phone now and then. Aside from work-related searches or phone calls, do not touch your mobile devices. Switch off your updates to your social media profiles, so you should not be tempted to check once you receive a notification.

If you are working on a commonplace in your house and have occasional family members, put on some headphones if there’s too much voice Background, guy. The interaction between your loved ones or housemates may not seem like a huge issue, but soon enough, you will pay more attention to the discussion rather than work. Also, if others see you’ve got a headphone on, they probably won’t bother you.

6. Have A Break

While it is a must that you avoid distractions, taking a break is essential in becoming a productive freelancer. Research has shown that taking frequent breaks would improve efficiency and innovative thinking. Breaktimes can also prevent stress and exhaustion. In short, it’s a win-win situation. An easy way to do that is the Pomodoro Technique. It teaches you how to take breaks since it forces you to work in 25-minute increments, followed by a 5-minute pause.

7. Work On Your Focus

It might be tempting to multitask so that you will get the job faster. However, it might not be the best way to work. It is essential to stick to only one task at a time. Train your brain to concentrate more intensely on one thing and not toggle between various topics when thinking. Avoid mental chatter and silence the distracting mind, leading to increased focus and attention and higher productivity. Strengthen your engagement and keep ourselves focused.

8. Use Tools To Follow Through

These days, technology has helped many industries. Its advances lead to innovations of the best software for small businesses and large enterprises. Likewise, there are many tools developed these days for freelancers that can help with your tasks. These tools can help you achieve milestones and make your tasks bearable. Relying on project management tools can help you deal with complexity and keep your mind free to work on other tasks.

9. Get Dressed Up

People love working as a freelancer because of being able to work even in your PJs. Since you are not leaving home, you might think that dressing up is not needed anymore. It can be quite tempting to just stay in your pajamas or sweatshirt all day.

However, to help keep motivated, you can dress up. According to an expert, a piece or item of clothing can help with how you think about work. Often, a wearer adopts the characteristics of a particular garment. So, if you are a little demotivated with your freelancing tasks, you can power dress to help you behave according to its symbolic meaning.

Final Thoughts

Working at home or anywhere you want with freelancing can be both comfortable and challenging. Despite the comfort of working from home, it can also pose many reasons for being unproductive. Another key to ensuring your productivity is finding the root cause of unproductivity as the first step toward solving it. Once you have an idea of what demotivates you and affects your efficiency, do not hesitate to experiment on how you will become a better productive freelancer.

AUTHOR BIO

MARICAR MORGA

Maricar worked as a marketing professional for almost a decade and handled concerts, events and community service-related activities. Leaving her corporate job for good to pursue her dreams, she has now ventured in the path of content writing and currently writes for Softvire Australia – the leading software e-Commerce company in Australia and Softvire New Zealand. A Harry Potter fan, she loves to watch animated series and movies during her spare time.