(When You Work For Yourself)

Ah, the sweet freedom of freelancing‒where you can work in your pajamas and no one will ever know! But when you have no one to answer to but yourself, it’s all too easy to fall into bad habits. Without structure and discipline, you’ll waste a lot of time scrolling social media, doing chores around the house, or doing anything other than working. 

And if you’re not working, you’re not making money! Freelancing has many perks, but the biggest drawback is that you only get paid when you work. But if you’re struggling to keep up your productivity, then take heart! A few simple hacks can get you back on track. Here’s how to structure your day for maximum productivity!

Start each day with your to-do list.

Prioritize your list according to deadlines & importance. When you have sorted all your to-do’s into high, medium, and low priorities, you can easily see what to tackle first or push back if you run out of time. 

Live and die by your calendar.

Take advantage of project management software like TikTik (if you work alone) or collaboration software such as Trello (if you’re working with others). 

Block out hours for working.

Set one afternoon or morning a week for appointments and errands instead of spreading your appointments throughout the week, 

Reduce distractions. Silence your phone or put it on “Do Not Disturb.” Most smartphones let you deactivate social media accounts during certain hours, too.

Only check email or DMs twice a day. An email can get you off track fast when really it’s not all that urgent. Most times, you can wait to respond. 

Each afternoon, prep for the next day. 

Tidy your workspace and check your calendar. If you see gaps in your schedule, send out some “feelers” via email or LinkedIn. Check and see if your usual clients need anything extra done. Or, apply for gigs here on Smart Mom Gig!

Schedule your breaks.

Taking too many breaks? Start scheduling frequent but short breaks. And set a timer to help you stick to them. 

You don’t have to do a traditional hour-long lunch break. The best thing about freelancing is that you can set your schedule. You’re free to do whatever works best for you! Most freelancers work while they eat. And snacking throughout the day is healthier than one large meal at noon anyway!

If you always hit a slump midmorning and then again in midafternoon, schedule two 30 minute breaks for these times. Give yourself permission to just chill or even take a cat nap (but set a clock!). Then once the time is up, get back to work! 

Stay flexible. 

With any job, the unexpected can and will happen. Even the most well-organized schedules need to deviate from time to time, but try to stay on schedule 90% of the time. This will keep your productivity up and help you bring in consistent income.