Freelancing offers the freedom to work on your terms, but it also demands a high level of self-discipline and focus. Without a structured environment, it's easy to get distracted or overwhelmed. To thrive as a freelancer, developing habits that enhance your productivity and keep you on track is crucial. Here are five essential habits to help you maintain focus and work effectively in your freelance career.
1. Establish Routine
Ensure you find work-life balance by creating a routine that works for you.
Keep a diary to help with this! Schedule your daily and weekly activities, prioritising important tasks. Set aside time for necessary meetings and your personal commitments, as well as pre-planning necessary breaks throughout the day!
If you're struggling to commit to your current work routine, change it up and try something new. It's important to spend some time figuring out how you can set your daily routine to reach your best levels of productivity.
2. Utilise Tools Available to you
There is an amazing variety of tools which can improve your working process - so utilise them!
Whether it’s for organising, designing, editing or advancing your skills, there‘s a tool or App for your needs. Some are often free or offer plans that work for different bu are o
Tools like Trello, Canva or Google Suite will definitely help you maintain focus and work more effectively throughout the day.Â
When working as part of a team for a project, tools like Planable provide an online workspace in which you can send, share or approve work with clients all in one place - what a time-saver!
3. Remove your Distractions
Forever finding yourself getting caught up in an Instagram scrollathon or watching “just one more“ episode of your favourite show? It’s time to ditch your distractions and get focused.
One of the most beneficial things you can do is put yourself on a phone ban. While it’s not necessary for you to have your phone, put it on do not disturb or out of reach.  It’ll be much easier to immerse yourself in your task without your group chats buzzing away next to you.
Reward your hard work by enjoying built-in breaks, where you can enjoy your favourite distractions in moderation.
4. Create To-Do Lists
The action of ticking off completed tasks gives a great sense of accomplishment. Creating physical or digital to-do lists gives you a place to jot down all tasks and especially helps if you can be forgetful.
Once you've got your tasks outlined it'll be much easier to delegate your work time. Try separate lists for different topics. Tools like Trello are great for organising and taking note of your tasks.
At the end of the day revisit your list andÂ
enjoy the satisfaction of seeing all you've accomplished that day.
5. Identify how Long Each Task Takes
It's important to take note of how much time you need to complete your tasks in order to utilise your time most efficiently.
Knowing your average timings for typical tasks will enable you to price your services correctly For example, a service based business would need to track task timings to know how to price effectively if you are charging at an hourly rate.
In addition it‘ll help you know how many clients you can have onboard at a time and understand your work load capacity.
By adopting these habits, you’ll find yourself better equipped to handle the demands of freelancing while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Remember, the key to sustained productivity lies not in working harder, but in working smarter. Start small, stay consistent, and watch as your focus and efficiency soar, paving the way for a successful and fulfilling freelance journey.
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