14 Tips For Freelancers To Boost Productivity

If you’ve ever worked a desk job, you know what it’s like to watch the clock tick by. And for freelancers who work from home or anywhere else, for that matter this malaise is even more pronounced.

You have no other human beings with whom to make small talk, and no boss looking over your shoulder. As a result, you may be tempted to waste time on everything from social media to inappropriate shenanigans (hello again, Fun Dip).

Luckily there are plenty of strategies you can use to boost your productivity and get things done! Here are some of my favorites:

How to Get Ahead of 99% Freelancers[5 Untold Tips]

Takeaway
1. Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and importance.
2. Create a dedicated workspace for focused work.
3. Utilize productivity tools to manage your schedule.
4. Set realistic goals and break them into smaller tasks.
5. Avoid overcommitting and learn to say no when necessary.
6. Use the Pomodoro technique to maintain focus and productivity.
7. Collaborate with accountability partners for mutual support.
8. Regularly evaluate your progress and make adjustments.
9. Set clear boundaries between work and personal life.
10. Take regular breaks to prevent burnout.
11. Communicate openly with clients about your workload.
12. Use project management tools to track deadlines and progress.
13. Start with smaller tasks to build momentum.
14. Seek support from peers or mentors to stay motivated.

Table of Contents

1. Clear Your Workspace

If you’re one of those people who can’t function unless your desk is a mess, it might be time for a change.

The key to productivity is removing distractions and clutter. If you have too much stuff that isn’t important on your desk, it will only make work more difficult. Here are some tips for decluttering your workspace:

Get rid of unnecessary items that are cluttering up your space (e.g., old receipts, magazines or newspapers). You don’t need these items just sitting around taking up space and distracting you from focusing on what matters!

Create an “inbox” area where all incoming mail goes until it has been dealt with in one way or another (e.g., read and filed away).

This could include anything from bills to postcards with inspirational messages written on them by well-meaning friends/family members). Once everything is out of sight and mind then we won’t be tempted by unnecessary clutter!

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2. Streamline Your Tools

You’ll be surprised at how much time you can save by streamlining your tools. This means using the right tool for the job, and not having too many different ones that require switching from one to another.

Some of my favorite tools include:

Google Sheets

It’s a great way to keep track of work in progress, organize tasks in columns, and get an overview of your workload. It also integrates with Google Calendar which is incredibly useful.

Trello

I’ve been using Trello since 2013 and it has changed my life! It’s incredibly easy to use and integrate with other programs like Slack or Google Drive so there is no excuse not to try it out!

3. Set Priorities And Routines

Have you ever been so busy that you didn’t know what to do next? If you haven’t, then consider yourself lucky. This is something freelancers face every day.

However, a lot of freelancers don’t know how to avoid this problem entirely and get back on track when they do find themselves in such situations.

A good way to make sure that doesn’t happen is by setting priorities and routines for yourself at the beginning of your workday (or even week).

You should set aside an hour or two before starting your actual work where you plan out exactly what tasks need to be done during the day, what order they should be done, who needs them by when all those things that go into prioritizing effectively.

Once this has been done, all that’s left is to stick with your plans! You’ll likely find yourself incredibly productive if everything goes according to schedule because there won’t be any surprises along the way

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4. Rely On Others For Help

As a freelancer, you’re going to need help. There are some things that you just can’t do alone. You can’t be everywhere at once, and you don’t have to do everything yourself.

Delegating tasks is an important part of being a successful freelancer because it will free up time for more profitable activities such as marketing or networking with clients.

How do you get other people involved? There are several options:

Hire employees or contract out work (this is best for complicated projects)

Ask friends and family members if they’re interested in helping out (this is good for small tasks like proofreading or computer support)

Find professional assistance online through sites like Fiverr or Upwork

5. Learn When To Say No, And Mean It

As a freelancer, you’re going to have clients that are not a good fit for your business. You should be selective about the projects you take on and set boundaries around what you can commit.

If a client offers a project that’s too small or doesn’t fit with your expertise, don’t just accept the job because it’s not worth the hassle of saying no.

Remember: this is YOUR business and YOUR life you need to protect both by being selective about how much time you spend working with clients who won’t benefit from working with you in return (or who simply aren’t going to pay).

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6. Remember That Breaks Are Sacred

Break time is the best time.

While you may not be able to get away with taking a break every hour, you must keep your breaks sacred. Most people get so caught up in their work that they forget to take a moment for themselves and relax.

But when we’re overworked, our productivity suffers because of burnout. Research shows that people who take regular breaks are more productive at work than those who don’t!

So remember: breaks are sacred and they’re worth investing in if you want to become more productive as a freelancer.

7. Develop Efficient Habits

Habits are like a force of nature, and powerful ones can be formed in as little as 21 days. They’re a product of repetition, which means that you’ll know you’ve got an effective habit when it starts to occur on its own without effort or thought.

This can be both good and bad: if you want to make sure that your habits are enhancing your productivity, you need to make sure they’re productive ones and thankfully, it’s possible to change them over time!

8. Outsource The Little Things

You know all those little things you have to do every day, like responding to emails, scheduling social media posts, and keeping track of your calendar? That’s where outsourcing can help.

Outsourcing is a great way to save time and money. It doesn’t have to be expensive either many online services can help you outsource the tasks you don’t want or need to do yourself.

For example, if you’re not great at graphic design but still want your website to look good and professional, there are web designers who will create custom logos or graphics for as little as $50– and they’ll even let you take a look before they start working on it!

The best part about outsourcing is that once someone else does the work for you (whether it’s designing your site or managing your social media accounts).

All that extra time gets freed up so now YOU can use YOUR skills in other areas instead of writing more content or marketing yourself better online. In fact…

9. Be Realistic About Your Time Constraints

Being realistic about your time constraints is crucial to being productive. That means understanding how much time you can realistically devote to a project, and how much time you can realistically devote to your life.

It also means understanding how much time you can realistically devote to your family, and how much time you can realistically devote to your friends.

If there are any tasks or assignments that seem like they will take more than half of your day, it’s best not to accept the job especially if it involves traveling or working overtime.

This includes things like last-minute requests from clients who want additional services performed at no extra charge (e.g., “I would appreciate it if you could write another five pages for me as well”).

You need enough time each day so that when the sun goes down on Friday night, all of your work is done!

10. Stick To A Schedule

Make a schedule and stick to it.

If you’re working with clients or employers on a contract, this shouldn’t be an issue. If you’re self-employed, however, it can be tough to keep yourself accountable.

Try scheduling everything in advance: when you’ll work out, what time you’ll start your work day, when and where breaks will happen (if they exist), etc. It may not seem like much at first but this is one of the most important things that can help make freelancing less stressful!

Punctuality is key here being late for appointments or deadlines, in general, could mean losing business opportunities or even street cred with your employer/contractor/client.

So avoid that by keeping track of how long each task takes as well as how long tasks take on average per day when planning accordingly!

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11. Track Your Time

Tracking your time is the best way to know where you’re at and whether or not you’re meeting your goals. If you don’t track your time, it costs more than it should.

If you haven’t been tracking your time, here are some ways to start:

Keep a time log. This can be as simple as writing down the date and start and stop times for each task on a piece of paper or in an app like Toggl (some people even use their phones’ built-in apps).

Just make sure that whatever method is used is consistent from day to day so that it’s easy for you or anyone else who works with your data later on.

It’s also important that the information recorded reflects reality if there were interruptions during one period, for example, remember those!

Track project hours separately from client hours separately from administrative work done by other team members such as designers or writers (generally speaking).

This will help keep things straight when trying to solve problems later down the road for instance, if there are delays due to a lack of communication between parties involved with a particular project.

Then knowing this specifically allows us all to stay on top of any potential issues before they become major ones!

12. Get Rid Of Distractions

Turn off your phone.

Turn off your TV.

Turn off your computer.

Turn off notifications for all of the above.

If you have a smartphone, disable notifications for email and social media apps (like Facebook or Twitter) so that they won’t distract you with new messages and updates when you need to focus on work tasks like writing content.

You’ll also want to turn off any messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp) that could potentially get distracting as well or block certain people from sending messages if they’re especially distracting or time-consuming while working on projects!

Do not check emails or social media during work hours unless necessary; otherwise, it’s easy to get sucked into hours’ worth of scrolling through other people’s lives instead of focusing on yours!

13. Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks Or Try New Things

The best way to learn how to take risks is by actually taking them. That said, there are a few things you can do to minimize the risk of failure.

If you’re going out on a limb with something new (or old) and it doesn’t work out, don’t be afraid of failure; instead, use that experience as a learning opportunity.

If at first, you don’t succeed… try again! If one approach doesn’t work out for you as well as you had hoped or planned for it to go, that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost.

You may just need another tactic or different approach next time around for your goal(s) to be achieved successfully.

It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers right now in fact, it’s normal!

Don’t let fear get in the way of pursuing opportunities that could lead toward success if only they were given more thought and attention before acting upon them blindly without questioning.

Whether they’re truly worth pursuing further due mostly because other people have similar ideas but haven’t acted yet either (or maybe even worse).

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14. Time Management Is The Key To Productivity, And It’s Never Too Late To Start Working On It!

Time management is a skill that can be learned, improved, and mastered by anyone. The benefits of time management are well worth the effort. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Conclusion

When you’re working for yourself, it can be hard to stay on task and productive. But if you make time management a priority, you’ll reap the benefits both in terms of work quality and work-life balance.

There are many ways to go about this, but our tips above should give you some ideas. We recommend that you take some time right now to put at least one into practice; we think you’ll see results sooner than later!

FAQs

How can I improve my time management as a freelancer?

Time management as a freelancer can be challenging but highly rewarding. Here are some tips to improve it:

Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and importance.
Use productivity tools and apps to organize your schedule.
Set realistic goals and break them into smaller, manageable tasks.
Minimize distractions and create a dedicated workspace for focused work.
Take regular breaks to avoid burnout and maintain productivity.

What are some effective ways to stay productive as a freelancer?

Staying productive as a freelancer requires discipline and effective strategies. Consider the following:

Establish a daily routine and stick to it.
Set clear boundaries between work and personal life.
Utilize the Pomodoro technique to maintain focus and prevent burnout.
Collaborate with accountability partners to stay on track.
Regularly evaluate your progress and make necessary adjustments.

How can freelancers handle multiple projects efficiently?

Handling multiple projects efficiently is crucial for freelancers. Here are some tips to manage them effectively:

Use project management tools to track deadlines and progress.
Prioritize projects based on urgency and complexity.
Communicate openly with clients about your workload and availability.
Avoid overcommitting and learn to say no when necessary.
Break down larger projects into smaller tasks and allocate time accordingly.

How can freelancers overcome procrastination?

Procrastination can hinder freelancer productivity. Try these methods to overcome it:

Identify the root causes of procrastination and address them.
Use time-blocking techniques to allocate specific time for tasks.
Start with smaller, less daunting tasks to build momentum.
Reward yourself for completing tasks on time.
Seek support from peers or mentors to stay motivated and accountable.

What are some effective ways to avoid burnout as a freelancer?

Avoiding burnout is vital for maintaining long-term success as a freelancer. Consider these strategies:

Set realistic work hours and take breaks throughout the day.
Engage in regular exercise, meditation, or hobbies to relieve stress.
Delegate tasks that are not within your expertise or time-consuming.
Take vacations or breaks to recharge and disconnect from work.
Seek support from friends, family, or a therapist to address burnout symptoms.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.