At first, freelancing seems like the best job in the world. You can wear your pajamas all day, eat that entire bag of Chex Muddy Buddies you bought because it was on sale and you couldn’t resist, and work from bed if that’s what you feel like.
But while the work-from-bed life is enjoyable for a little while, it’s hard to make a living as a freelancer without discipline. In fact, discipline is key to successful freelancing.
The lack of discipline is why so many people fail at being self-employed and run back to their cubicles with their tails between their legs. But if you can learn to be disciplined—if you can learn to treat your business like a real business and not just something you do when there’s nothing else going on—you’ll be well on your way to having a successful career as a freelancer.
Discipline ≠ I Have To Work All The Time
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Discipline is the cornerstone of success in freelancing, enabling consistent productivity and client satisfaction. |
| 2. Developing self-discipline as a freelancer is crucial for meeting deadlines and maintaining a professional reputation. |
| 3. Self-discipline empowers freelancers to stay focused on their goals and overcome distractions, leading to improved work quality. |
| 4. Successful freelancers utilize practical techniques like setting clear goals and creating a dedicated workspace to foster self-discipline. |
| 5. Embracing self-discipline not only impacts freelancing success but also contributes to leadership and overall business growth. |
So How Do You Become Disciplined?
There’s no magic bullet, but you can use a combination of strategies to help you get there.
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1. Get Started
This is the hardest part of any project, whether it’s a freelance assignment or something personal like cleaning out your closet. To help yourself, think in terms of small steps and focus on what you need to do right now.
2. Set Aside Time For Client Work And Stick To It
Schedule blocks of time for client work, and turn off all distractions during those times. If you want to keep your existing clients happy, you’ll need to maintain the same level of discipline even when you get busy with new assignments.
3. Ask For Help From Friends And Family Members
Tell them how important this is to you, and ask them to hold you accountable for staying on schedule with your work. You should also try rewarding yourself for making progress or meeting deadlines (treat yourself to a movie, take an evening off).
4. Set Goals And Track Your Success
Set specific goals for each week and month. This will help you focus on what needs doing, when. It will also give you a sense of achievement when you do complete tasks and make progress.
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5. Start And End Your Day Early
When you start and end your day earlier than most people, you get to take advantage of that quiet time when everyone else is still asleep. You can use this time to get down to business and get things done before the daily distractions kick in. It’s also a great way to beat your competition by getting things done during their slow time.
6. Take Breaks Throughout Your Workday
Many people think that taking breaks at work is unprofessional; however, it can actually help you be more productive. According to a study by the University of Illinois, working for 52 minutes and then taking a break for 17 minutes increases productivity by 13.5 percent.
When you’re working from home, it’s easy to get distracted by household chores or social media. To keep yourself focused, try setting an alarm on your phone or desktop that reminds you to take a break. This can be helpful especially if your workspace is also your living space.
7. Learn To Say “No” To Your Clients (And Yourself)
It’s important to know how to control your schedule and say “no” once in a while. There may be times when you have too many projects on the go or you need to say “no” to unreasonable client demands. Also, learn how to respond if a client asks for something outside of the agreement. Say “yes” when it makes sense, but not at the expense of your professional integrity or productivity.
8. Keep Distractions At Bay
Set up a distraction-free environment where all you have is your laptop, a pen and paper, and your phone (if necessary). Make sure that you’re not distracted by social media or other websites while working on an important task.
9. Finish What You Start
Whether it’s finishing your project or running errands before starting work, make sure that whatever you do, do it with an end goal in mind so that you don’t waste time doing something without knowing why or how it will benefit you later on!
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10. Do Not Procrastinate
This is one of the toughest things for many freelancers to do. You might tell yourself that you’ll do just one more thing before getting started on a project and end up getting distracted by everything from social media to household chores and errands to TV shows and YouTube videos.
11. Utilize The Pomodoro Technique
This is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo. It involves 25 minutes of focused work and a five-minute break. There are different variations of this technique but it usually involves working for four 25-minute intervals with a 15- to 30-minute break at the end of each set. This will help you stay focused and increase productivity.
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12. Take Care Of Yourself First
The most important thing I’ve done to become more disciplined is to take care of myself first. This means getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly. These things help my body and mind function better so I can get more done throughout the day.
13. Get Enough Sleep
This might seem like an obvious one, but the constant need to drum up a new business and the pressure of meeting deadlines can make sleeping less of a priority for freelancers than it should be. Getting enough sleep not only makes you feel better and perform better, but it has also been shown to decrease your chances of getting sick. If you need help sleeping better, try to create a routine that works best for you. As much as possible, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
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Final Thoughts
If you are serious about success as a freelancer, you must develop discipline. Discipline isn’t something that comes naturally to a lot of people, but it comes easier and easier with time and practice.
Further Reading
Discipline Is What Leads to Success: Learn from successful leaders about the critical role of discipline in achieving goals and reaching new heights in business and life.
Importance of Self-Discipline for Freelance Writers: Discover how self-discipline plays a vital role in the success of freelance writers and how it can lead to improved productivity and client satisfaction.
How to Develop Self-Discipline as a Freelancer: Explore effective strategies and practical tips to cultivate self-discipline as a freelancer, enabling you to stay focused, meet deadlines, and thrive in your freelancing career.
FAQs
How Do I Maintain Discipline So That I Can Work At Home?
You have to maintain your discipline by thinking of your work as something important, even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time. If you think of your work as something frivolous or easy, then it will feel like a chore when you forgo time with friends in order to finish projects.
How Do I Set Goals For Myself?
The best way to set goals for yourself is first to decide what your ultimate goal is in terms of career success, income, or any other metric that’s important to you. Then, break down what you need to do to achieve that goal into smaller steps that are more easily achievable. Finally, break those steps down further into daily tasks and make sure that you’re completing them each day.
What Is Discipline?
Discipline is essentially self-control. It’s the ability to do the things you need to do, even when you don’t want to do them.
Can I Freelance And Still Go Out On A Tuesday Night?
Yes, but you’ll need to make sure to get up early Wednesday morning and do your work.
Do I Need To Be Good At Managing My Time?
Yes, if you want to be successful as a freelancer. Make sure to allow yourself enough time to do your work well.
How Do You Stay Productive And Motivated?
It’s important to know when you’re going to be at your most productive so that you can plan accordingly. For me, it’s the middle of the day—that’s when I feel most energetic, so I schedule all my client calls during those hours.
How Do You Manage Distractions When They Come Up?
It’s hard sometimes but if I’m working on an important project then I try my best not to let anything get in the way of that. For example, if my partner asks me if I want dinner and I know it’s time for work – then no matter how tempting it may seem at first – this should come second because there’s nothing more important than getting your work done on time!
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.