Freelance writers, artists, and other creatives face unique challenges when it comes to time management. Because of the nature of the work, many freelance writers struggle with self-discipline and feel that their time is constantly slipping away from them.
The good news is that there are a few important things you can do to manage your work more effectively.
Below you’ll find my favorite tips for how to make sure you’re on top of your freelance writing projects:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Effective time management is essential for freelance writers to succeed in their careers and maintain a healthy work-life balance. |
| 2. Prioritize tasks and set realistic deadlines to ensure timely delivery of projects and client satisfaction. |
| 3. Utilize productivity tools and apps specifically designed for writers to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency. |
| 4. Avoid procrastination by implementing time-blocking techniques and creating a distraction-free workspace. |
| 5. Allocate time for personal growth, skill development, and self-care to prevent burnout and boost creativity. |
Know Yourself
Being self-aware is the key to managing your time. You can’t manage something you don’t understand. If you are not aware of what motivates you, what you’re good at, or what tasks you dread doing, it’s impossible to create a schedule that works well for everyone involved.
I know this from personal experience. For example, my husband loves cleaning and organizing our house while I hate it because I’m an extremely messy person by nature (something he has never understood).
When my husband got into the habit of cleaning up after me every day after work, we had some serious fights about whose responsibility it was to keep our home clean but since we didn’t know each other’s strengths and weaknesses very well yet as newlyweds (or even as friends),
Neither one of us could tell which one should be responsible for certain chores like tidying up after dinner parties or taking out the trash on Saturdays.
So we created a cycle where both partners went crazy trying to please each other without being able to figure out who should do what task first!
It took us years before we figured out how best divide up responsibilities between ourselves based on our skillsets rather than having everything fall solely upon one person’s shoulders.
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Measure Time
Time tracking apps and software is one of the most popular ways to measure time. The two main types of these programs are manual and automatic.
Manual is when you have to actively input your information into a program or website, for example, typing in that you worked for 2 hours on Monday at 11 am.
Automatic time tracking uses an app on your computer or phone that tracks everything for you by recognizing what’s happening on screen using things like facial recognition software or even just picking up on keyboarding patterns (like how fast someone types).
Some freelancers choose to track their time using pen and paper either by writing down what they did at specific times during the day or by noting every hour worked so far each day.
This is useful especially if there are no apps available but may be harder if there are many distractions around!
You can ask friends or family members if they would like some help with their business in exchange for helping them out with theirs. For example: “I’ll take care of all your yard work and gardening chores this summer if we trade services once a month.”
Be Realistic
It is crucial to be realistic when setting your own time management goals. You should understand what you are capable of and how much you can take on so that you don’t get overwhelmed, stressed out, and frustrated as a result of unrealistic expectations.
To understand your own limitations, think about these questions: How long does it take me to complete a task? How many tasks can I complete in a day? How much time do I spend on social media?
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Set Goals
Setting goals is the most important thing you can do as a freelancer. The goals will help you determine what projects and clients to take on, how much time to spend on each one, what to charge for your services, when (and if) it’s okay to take a break from writing, and more.
When setting goals for yourself, ask yourself:
What are my short-term goals? These are things that might be accomplished within the next year for example: publish one piece of content per month; make $5K in profit this quarter; or launch a new website.
These aren’t deadlines so much as they’re ways of measuring your progress along the way.
What are my long-term goals? These are things that may happen over several years—for example: earn $100K per year from freelance writing; write 10 books by 2020; be able to quit my day job by 2025…the list goes on!
Plan Your Day
Plan your day the night before. Plan your week the night before. And so on, up to planning your career and life and death and funeral, all in one tidy package.
The point is to get a good grip on what you want out of each day, month and year before you start work each morning, so that when you sit down at your desk with a fresh cup of coffee or tea (or something stronger).
It’s time to focus on writing instead of being distracted by other thoughts about where your life might take you or what else needs to be done during this precious chunk of time spent on Earth as a human being who can write things down.
Note: If this sounds like too much work at first glance which it is! just try it anyway and see how easy it makes things once implemented.
Plan Your Week
To manage your time better, you should:
Plan your week. On Sunday night (or any other night of the week that works for you) sit down with a calendar and plan out what you’ll be doing during each day of the upcoming week. If necessary, set up an online calendar system so that you can access it from anywhere.
This will help keep track of all of your appointments and commitments as well as help ensure that nothing gets forgotten or overlooked while still allowing some flexibility to shift things around if necessary.
Make a to-do list.
Set aside sometime every day (if possible) to make a list of everything on your plate for that day, prioritized by importance and urgency so that nothing slips through the cracks because it wasn’t given enough attention early enough in the process or didn’t make it onto the schedule at all
Change Your Schedule With The Seasons
When you work for yourself, you’re free to set your schedule. This can be a great thing, but it can also be a curse when you’re trying to manage time effectively.
For instance, I love writing in the morning while my kids are still asleep and then going outside with them when they wake up. In the wintertime, this is awesome because I get all my work done before noon so I can spend the rest of the day outside.
But in summer? Not so much do the kids want to play outside (because it is summer!), so I end up spending more time on my computer than usual…and then we go back inside because it’s hot out there!
And when they’re not playing at their friends’ houses or biking around town with me…they’re doing homework! So now there’s even less time for me during those early hours between 8 am-12 pm (when most people can concentrate better than later in the day).
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Delegate
Delegating is a great way to save time and energy, but it’s not as simple as handing off your assignments. If you want to delegate successfully, make sure you:
Trust the person you are delegating to. If someone does not have your trust, they will likely not do well with their responsibilities.
Make sure that person has the right skills for the job and knows what is expected of them.
Make sure that person cares about doing a good job and getting it done on time!
Automate
Now that you have an idea of how much time you can dedicate to writing and what kind of work it takes, it’s time to automate your writing routine.
From setting up tools that will help you manage your day-to-day tasks and meetings with clients, to keeping track of all the things on your plate so you don’t get overwhelmed by them all at once, there are many ways you can automate the process.
Here are some tools I recommend:
Calendar – Use Google Calendar or Fantastical for iPhones or BusyCal for Macs (or any calendar app). Make sure it syncs across devices so that every member of the team is always up-to-date on when things need to happen!
This way no one gets surprised by a deadline coming up sooner than expected because someone forgot about it until too late in the game plan.
It also helps keep everyone accountable for their responsibilities so nothing falls through the cracks unexpectedly either which would be disastrous!
Also, add reminders into these calendars whenever possible so that if something comes up last minute then everyone knows right away instead of waiting until later when they’re already busy working on something else…
Or worse yet forgetting altogether until after they’ve missed out on valuable opportunities altogether because they didn’t know about them beforehand.”
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Don’t Beat Yourself Up Over Mistakes
It’s easy to get so caught up in our work that we beat ourselves up when we make a mistake. After all, our professional reputation is on the line!
But take it from me: don’t let mistakes ruin your day. Don’t let mistakes ruin your week. Don’t let mistakes ruin your month, or even year (although that would be a pretty impressive feat). And most importantly of all: don’t let them ruin your career and life.
When You Know Yourself And Your Working Style, It Becomes Much Easier To Manage Your Time
You can then organize things to fit how you work best, rather than trying to fit what you want to do into a mold that doesn’t fit.
Here are some questions that will help you get started:
What does my ideal day look like?
What are my daily goals?
How do I like to spend my time? Do I prefer morning or afternoon/evening? Weekends or weekdays? Quiet or social environments? Alone or with others (and if so, who)?
Do I need quiet time in-between days of activity; am I an early bird who likes mornings for getting things done before the rest of the world wakes up; am I a night owl who likes working late into the night when everyone else is asleep;
Or is there another pattern I follow (perhaps working from home during certain times of day and going into office space during others)? If so, why do those times work best for me and how can they be accommodated in my schedule?
What are my strengths and weaknesses as a writer/blogger/editor etc.?
What kind of tasks do these strengths/weaknesses make the most sense for me to take on versus those which may require another person’s particular set of skillset traits instead of my ones.
For example, needing someone else more organized than myself when it comes spilling over deadlines; need someone else who writes quicker than me if their output rate exceeds my writing speed by several times over).
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Conclusion
Managing your time as a freelancer is no easy task. But with these tips, you can get on the right track and stay there! Remember that one of the most important things about managing your time is to be realistic about what you can handle.
Don’t take on too much at once, and don’t over-schedule yourself either it’s not worth it. Also, remember that setting goals are an important step toward getting things done. And finally, don’t forget to have fun with whatever work you do; that way it won’t feel like work!
Further Reading
Time Management Tips by Rock Content: Explore expert advice on effective time management to boost productivity and achieve your goals.
Go-To Time Management Tips for Workaholic Freelance Writers: Discover practical strategies tailored for workaholic freelance writers to strike a balance between work and personal life.
Time Management for Freelance Writer by Wordable: Learn how to optimize your time as a freelance writer and make the most of your creative productivity.
FAQs
What are the essential time management tips for freelance writers?
Efficient time management is crucial for freelance writers to meet deadlines, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and maximize productivity. Explore various tips and techniques to master time management in the freelancing world.
How can workaholic freelance writers achieve better time management?
Workaholic freelance writers often struggle to find a balance between work and personal life. Discover specialized time management strategies designed to help workaholic writers prioritize tasks, reduce burnout, and maintain their well-being.
How does effective time management impact a freelance writer’s success?
Time management directly influences a freelance writer’s success by enhancing productivity and meeting client expectations. Learn how proper time management can boost a writer’s reputation, client satisfaction, and overall career growth.
Are there specific tools or apps that can assist freelance writers with time management?
Numerous productivity tools and apps are available to assist freelance writers in managing their time effectively. Explore a selection of recommended tools tailored to streamline writing processes, track tasks, and improve time allocation.
How can freelance writers overcome procrastination and stay on track with their projects?
Procrastination can hinder a freelance writer’s productivity and impact their income. Uncover proven techniques to overcome procrastination, stay focused on writing projects, and maintain a consistent workflow.
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.