Things that I do to manage my Freelance Work
Freelancing can get very chaotic if not managed properly. My fellow freelancers will know. I mean juggling between talking to different prospects, submitting invoices to clients, to editing for other clients…it can all turn into a mess real quick.
This is why I like to have systems to manage everything. Now, I am not gonna lie and say that it all comes naturally to me because it does not. I have made my own fair share of mistakes and only then have I learned to manage.
I write this piece today with the intention that you would not have to learn the hard way. And with that, I present you with things that I do to manage my freelance work:
Allot different days to different activities
I am not superwoman, and neither are you. Let’s be real. We cannot do everything every day. This is why I like to allot different days of the weak to different activities. For example- Mondays for me are to plan what all I will work on the coming week. Prepare outlines and briefs. Reply to emails. Basically, Monday for me is prep day.
Similarly, Tuesdays for me are to get to work. I like to get done with as much client work as possible on this. Similarly, weekends are to review my week, track my income and expenses for the week, and all that.
I’d recommend this to you too. If you have multiple clients with multiple requirements, allot different days to different clients. For example, if you offer blog writing and email copywriting to two different clients. Keep one day for blog writing and the other for an email copy. In this way, your focus will be on one task at a time.
Don’t do this if you love panicking about how much work you have to get done. XD
Make full use of Google Sheets
Believe it or not, I am obsessed with google sheets. I have a google sheet for everything. I have a g-sheet for invoices, payments, pitching, topics, keywords for clients, links to articles that have been submitted or are to be submitted.
It is such a lifesaver. To have everything laid down in front of you, in the form of a nice-looking list. Sometimes in different colors (yes I am creative like that lol). Moreover, making a google sheet isn’t even that time-consuming. If you have a VA, they could do it! Heck, they could even fill your google sheets out!
Make a schedule!!
Cannot emphasize this enough. Just because you work for yourself does not mean you should not have a schedule. If I talk about myself, I absolutely sucked at following schedules. As a result, most of the time I would always find myself in a mess…frustrated. I knew this had to stop, so I made a schedule and forced myself to follow it. It became a routine gradually and life is peaceful now. Pretty peaceful. So yeah, just make a damn schedule and stick to it.
Of course, freelancing is not a 9 to 5. It’s is a 2–4 and then 8–6. Basically, whatever time suits you. Figure out what works best for you and stick to it.
Focus on only one thing at a time
If you’re an anxious snowball like me, your mind must remember 10 different you need to get done while you are doing another task. But trying to do everything at once only leads to an inability to do anything at all. This is why the next piece of advice I have is to focus on only one thing at a time.
What I like to do is keep a notebook with me at all times and write down whatever task comes to mind. This way, I don’t lose track of the other tasks I’m working on, and I can concentrate on just one at a time.
Final Words
Obviously, I am not able to implement this advice all the time, sometimes I do slip with time management. However, on most days, this helps. Another thing I’d say before I wrap up this article is that with time you sort of dwell into that routine and the time management parts become easier. So, yeah it is just a matter of time.
With that, I’ll take your leave. I hope you liked this article and it will help you in some way. If it does do not forget to let me know on LinkedIn or Twitter (whatever is your favorite!)
