You’re a self-employed software engineer. How can you keep your schedule under control?

2 Use a calendar

A calendar is an essential tool for any self-employed software engineer. It will help you keep track of your appointments, meetings, deadlines, and personal events. You can use a digital or a physical calendar, as long as you update it regularly and check it daily. A calendar will help you avoid double-booking yourself, forgetting important tasks, and missing deadlines. You can also use a calendar to block out time for specific activities, such as coding, testing, debugging, communication, or learning. This will help you create a routine and focus on one thing at a time.

3 Break down your tasks

A large or complex project can be overwhelming and daunting. To make it more manageable and achievable, you should break it down into smaller and simpler tasks. You can use a tool like a to-do list, a kanban board, or a project management software to organize your tasks and track your progress. You should also assign a priority and a deadline to each task, and tackle them in order of importance and urgency. Breaking down your tasks will help you plan your work, measure your results, and celebrate your achievements.

4 Set boundaries

As a self-employed software engineer, you have to balance your work and your life. This means setting boundaries with your clients, your colleagues, and yourself. You should communicate your availability, your expectations, and your feedback clearly and respectfully. You should also respect your own limits, and avoid taking on more work than you can handle, working long hours, or sacrificing your health and well-being. Setting boundaries will help you maintain a professional relationship with your clients, a healthy collaboration with your colleagues, and a satisfying lifestyle for yourself.

5 Automate and delegate

Some tasks are repetitive, tedious, or time-consuming, and can take away from your core work as a software engineer. To save time and energy, you should automate and delegate these tasks as much as possible. For example, you can use tools like scripts, templates, frameworks, or libraries to automate common or standard tasks, such as testing, deployment, or documentation. You can also delegate tasks that are outside your expertise or interest, such as accounting, marketing, or legal, to other professionals or services. Automating and delegating will help you focus on your strengths, improve your efficiency, and reduce your errors.

6 Review and improve

As a self-employed software engineer, you have to constantly learn and improve your skills, knowledge, and processes. To do this, you should review and evaluate your work regularly, and identify what went well and what can be improved. You can also seek feedback from your clients, your colleagues, or your mentors, and use it to improve your quality and satisfaction. You should also invest in your professional development, by taking courses, reading books, attending events, or joining communities. Reviewing and improving will help you grow as a software engineer, stay competitive, and achieve your goals.