When you work as a freelancer, your to-do list can quickly grow out of control. You’re juggling new projects with existing ones, managing your own marketing and outreach efforts, and making sure you don’t charge too much for work or wind up working for free.
It’s enough to make any freelancer’s head spin. Fortunately, there are some tried-and-true ways to make your freelance life easier for yourself. I’ve compiled my top 30 tips into this handy guide that will help you become a better freelancer you might even find that you have time left over after all of these tasks are completed!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Regular exercise can improve focus and productivity as a freelancer. |
| Incorporating short breaks for stretching can reduce work-related stress. |
| Physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy freelancer lifestyle. |
| Home workouts, yoga, and pilates are convenient exercise options for freelancers. |
| Time management is crucial for fitting in exercise into your daily routine. |
List Out Your Strengths And Weaknesses
This is a great exercise that will help you to feel more confident in your ability to do the work that you’re doing. It will also help you be aware of what and how much work you can handle so that you don’t overwork yourself or get overwhelmed.
I like to use this list when I’m starting out with a new client because it helps me know what kind of projects they’ll be interested in, and if their expectations are realistic for the amount of time required to complete them.
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Look At The History Of Other Freelancers
This is a great way to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid repeating them. You can also look at what they’re doing right and replicate their success. For example, if you see that they’ve done well-writing articles for a specific publication, then you should try pitching your article ideas to that publication as well.
- 1st move: Look At The History Of Other Freelancers
- 2nd move: Find Patterns In Their Successes And Failures
Find A Use For Every Skill You Have
Freelancing is a great way to make money, but it can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you want to become a better freelancer, though, it’s important to find ways in which your skills can help you out. Here are some examples of skills that can be used in a freelance setting:
- Graphic design
- Data entry/data processing
- Accounting (for small businesses)
- Writing and editing
Master Three New Skills Each Month
It’s important to learn new skills. There are plenty of ways to do this, but here are a few tried-and-true approaches:
Take a course. Courses can be expensive and time-consuming, so think about how much you’re willing to spend on your education and what type of learning style works best for you before signing up for one.
Read books or articles about your industry and its related skills. This can give you a broader understanding of what’s out there and help provide context for whatever technologies are currently in vogue but it might not come with any hands-on practice opportunities (unless you take screenshots).
Find ways to get involved in communities that have skills that complement yours or teach things similar to the ones you want to learn more about.
For example, if programming languages are something that interests me but I don’t know any other people who program at all (or not very well), then I could try joining an online community like Stack Overflow where there are lots of talented programmers around who could help me figure out my problems as they arise during my work day!
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Learn How To Write Better
Learning how to write better is a skill that all freelancers should have, but it’s especially important for those looking to start their own business. Writing well is an essential part of your marketing plan, and it can help you find more clients and make more money.
There are many ways that you can improve your writing skills, including taking classes or reading books on the subject. You can also practice rewriting articles online before publishing them so that they’re more readable.
If you’re struggling with certain parts of your content creation process (like coming up with ideas), consider working with a professional writer who specializes in creative nonfiction or journalism
Practice Working Quickly
Maybe you’re a slow writer or maybe it just feels like you are. Either way, learning how to work quickly is an important skill for freelancers. You can get better at writing quickly by practicing these exercises:
Practice working quickly. Try writing an article in one hour, then another one in half an hour, and then another in 15 minutes!
Write on different topics. When I was first starting as a freelance writer for hire, I used to believe that working on the same subject over and over would make me more efficient because I would know all the ins and outs of it by heart (this doesn’t mean you should stop learning about your industry – just don’t do everything at once).
But later on down the road when things got busier and busier (and harder), having more than one type of content available helped me keep my sanity intact – not to mention saved my client’s money since they were able to reuse content across multiple platforms instead of paying extra fees every time someone needed something written up
Learn How To Say No
It’s important to learn how to say no. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a full plate and no time for yourself or your family. And if you don’t say no when people ask you to take on their projects, it can be hard for them to understand why they should respect your boundaries.
It can be tricky, though we all want everyone around us to be happy! But saying yes all the time might mean that someone else isn’t getting what they need out of working with you.
It’s also not fair for them if they have unrealistic expectations about your work schedule or availability because they think that since they’re paying money, they should get what they want whenever they want it without having any respect for those things themselves (for example: agreeing on deadlines but then being late).
If this sounds like a situation that could come up on occasion as a freelancer, here are some ways in which we’ve found ourselves able-bodied adults acting more like toddlers who need constant supervision than adults who can make decisions about their own lives:
People asking us at 10 pm if we’ll meet with them tomorrow morning before work so we can give feedback on their proposal and tell them whether or not it’s something we’d like to work on together (instead of taking those hours from our sleep).
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Experiment With New Work Schedules
Experiment with new work schedules. Try a different schedule, such as working in the morning instead of the afternoon or evening. Or try working in a different time zone, like one that’s two hours ahead or behind where you live.
Or maybe try working from home instead of an office or coffee shop. Maybe even try changing up your workspace maybe you’ve been using a desk all these years but would be more productive with a standing desk; maybe there are no desks at all at your new workplace and everyone has to use laptops on yoga mats!
No matter what factors are influencing your productivity now, it’s important to constantly try new things so that you can figure out what works best for you personally and professionally.
Track Your Time To Become More Efficient
Tracking your time is one of the most important things you can do as a freelancer. It’s an easy way to see how long it takes you to complete different tasks, and it will help you learn how to become more efficient.
Here are some tips for tracking your time:
Keep track of when each task begins and ends. This includes breaks and times when you’re waiting on others (such as when someone else is in the shower).
Don’t forget that the clock doesn’t stop just because you’re working on something! If there are interruptions, make sure they’re reflected in your time tracking.
Find Ways To Save Time Throughout Your Day
Make a list of things you do every day and how much time you spend on each task.
Consider whether the tasks can be combined or performed concurrently.
If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again, see if there’s an automated way to do it for you (like scheduling social media posts).
Give some tasks away by outsourcing them to freelancers or hiring employees if possible. This could also help provide some extra income as well as free up your schedule for other work-related tasks that need attention!
Now that we’ve discussed how to become more efficient with our time and resources, let’s talk about some exercises that will help improve your overall health in the process!
Keep Clients Updated With Progress On Projects
It’s important to keep your clients updated with the progress of their projects. This will help them feel confident in your abilities, and it makes it easier for them to give you feedback if they want any changes made (since they’ll know what exactly is going on).
Several tools can help with this Asana, Slack, Trello, etc. but we think the best one is Asana because it allows you to break down tasks into smaller chunks so you don’t get overwhelmed. Plus it’s free!
Learn How To Negotiate Your Rates, Deadlines, And More
Negotiating your rate, deadlines, and more can help you be a better freelancer. When negotiating, remember:
Don’t be afraid to ask for more money. If you have a good track record with the client, they will likely agree to give you a raise.
Don’t be afraid to ask for more time (and resources). If the project needs one extra day or two extra people on it, then it’s worth asking especially if your client has been happy with your work so far and knows what kind of value they’re getting from you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for more resources. If particular tools would make this job easier or faster but aren’t included in the scope of work (such as software licenses), chances are people will understand why those things need funding and may even cover their costs themselves to get everything done within an acceptable timeframe.
Improve Your Organization Skills
To take your organization skills to the next level, it’s time to get serious about using a calendar and a to-do list.
If you’re having trouble staying on top of your schedule and keeping track of what needs to get done, start by using a calendar that syncs with all your devices. Then, make sure you put in regular blocks of time for planning out projects and stick with those dates!
It can be tempting when things are busy and stressful to push off thinking about work until later in the week (or even month). But if you don’t have time set aside regularly for planning and strategizing new projects, they’ll always fall through the cracks.
Once those appointments are set aside though, try using a project management tool like Trello or Basecamp so that every member of your team can stay informed about what needs to happen next, and who knows how long something might take?
The last thing we’d recommend is getting serious about making sure each client gets their due attention from both yourself and team members who work on any given project together.
Even if someone else seems better suited for certain tasks than you are (or vice versa), remember that nobody does everything well so try not to feel bad if another person takes over certain responsibilities from time to time!
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Create A Master Checklist For New Projects (And Always Update It)
Create a master checklist for each new project you take on.
If you’re taking on a new project, create a checklist of all the things you need to do. This will be your master checklist, and it should include all the tasks that are required to get the job done.
As you work through this list, add any other steps that come up along the way this could be anything from creating assets or writing copy to make sure everything is tested before sending it off for final approval.
Use Your Master Checklist To Make Sure You Don’t Forget Anything
Once your master checklists are created, use them as an at-a-glance resource for keeping track of all the things which need doing (and have been done). Update them regularly so that they always reflect on what needs to be done to complete projects on time and under budget!
Figure Out What’s Causing Repeated Issues In Your Freelancing Life, And Fix Them For Good
One of the most important things to do as a freelancer is to figure out what’s causing repeated issues in your freelancing life, and fix them for good.
Once you know what the root cause of an issue is, it becomes much easier to find a solution. If you don’t know why something keeps happening repeatedly, then it can be hard to find solutions and even harder to prevent those problems from coming back in the future.
You need to figure out:
- What caused this problem?
- How can I make sure this never happens again?
This list is an excellent way to continue improving your freelancing skills.
As you become more and more successful, it’s easy to feel complacent. However, if you want to continue growing as a freelancer, you must keep learning.
Here are five ways that can help:
Find the time to learn new skills and get better at your craft. Whether it’s through classes or online training videos, find the time for self-education in your schedule so that it doesn’t feel like an extra chore. You’ll stay motivated when things aren’t going well because of all the knowledge and skills under your belt!
Be sure to ask questions of other people in similar industries as yourself when they have advice or tips for success but try not to be too negative while doing so (i.e., “What is one thing I do wrong every day?”). This question will help identify areas where improvement
is needed before they become serious problems down the line!
Leaving the corporate world to pursue a freelance writing career can be a life-changing decision. Read the inspiring story of how one writer escaped corporate America to become a successful freelance writer and find the motivation to follow your passion and make a positive change in your life.
Conclusion
These are just a few ways that you can become a better freelancer, and I’m sure there are plenty more out there. If you think of any that we missed, be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
Further Reading
10 Simple Yet Great Exercises to Keep a Freelancer in Shape: Discover easy and effective exercises to stay healthy while freelancing.
10 Easy Ways to Stay Fit and Active as a Freelancer: Learn practical tips to incorporate physical activity into your freelance routine.
Stay Active as a Freelancer: Explore strategies to maintain an active lifestyle while balancing freelance work.
FAQs
How can I stay physically fit as a freelancer?
Maintaining physical fitness as a freelancer can be achieved by incorporating regular exercise routines into your daily schedule. Consider taking short breaks for stretching, going for walks, or engaging in home workouts to stay active.
What are some simple exercises I can do at home as a freelancer?
Home exercises like bodyweight workouts, yoga, and pilates are great options for freelancers. They require minimal equipment and can be done in the comfort of your own space.
How do I manage my time to fit in exercise as a freelancer?
Effective time management is crucial. Plan your work hours efficiently and allocate specific time slots for exercise, treating it as an essential part of your daily routine.
Can physical activity improve my productivity as a freelancer?
Yes, regular physical activity can improve focus, reduce stress, and boost overall well-being, which can, in turn, positively impact your productivity as a freelancer.
What are some tips for staying motivated to exercise as a freelancer?
Finding a workout buddy, setting fitness goals, and trying out new and enjoyable activities are some ways to stay motivated and make exercising an enjoyable part of your freelance lifestyle.
What’s The Best Way To Become A Better Freelancer?
There are many ways, but we’ve found that the most effective way is by practicing. Here are some exercises you can do to help you become a better freelancer:
1. Write down your goals for the week and make sure that you review them every day.
2. Try and work on one big project at a time, so that you can focus on it and make sure it gets done right.
3. Take breaks from your computer every few hours so that your mind doesn’t get overwhelmed with all of the information coming in from different sources!
What Are The Best Exercises For Freelancers?
The best exercises for freelancers are those that help them to become better at what they do. For example, if you’re a content writer and you want to become more efficient at writing, then maybe taking some time each day to write something new is a good exercise.
If you’re a programmer and you want to become better at debugging code, then maybe taking some time each day to learn how to use a debugger would be helpful.
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.
