Being A Freelancer: My Typical Workday! ??

Freelancing can be overwhelming. Despite putting in long working hours, there are times when we are not able to get work done. Because there's so much to do. Client projects, revising, responding to prospects, pitching, invoicing, meetings, calls, following up, managing personal brand, social media, collaborating...

< deep breath >

I know 'coz I have been running my freelance business from some time too. Being productive seems really tough when you've so much on the plate. But, you know what...

The problem isn't that you got less time.

The problem isn't even more work.

The root of the problem lies in management.

Over time, I've figured out something that works for me (and might as well for you!). With this, I increased my productivity significantly, am not always running to get work done, have a better work-life balance, and time for self and family as well.

The #1 tip that I follow for myself:

?? Block out time pockets for a particular type of work. ??

Dedicate a fixed number of hours or a particular time of the day for each task. Confused? Well! Here's an example of my typical workday routine:

1?? I start off by making my to-do list for the day – so, I don't have to remember the tasks, freeing up mind space for work. And also, I hate remembering stuff that can be written down.

2?? Then, in time pocket 1, I have fixed time for article/writing work (eg: 9 am - 12 noon). At that time, I don't check mails, don't respond to messages, no social media, no invoicing, nothing. I just work on the client project.

And because I don't have 10 other tasks to remember, courtesy: to-do list –? I can get my projects done much faster.

3?? After this, I take a break. Stretch. Finish other chores. Have food.

4?? Then, in the next time pocket, I handle the administrative tasks like replying to emails, calls, meetings, invoicing, etc. In between two calls, I make invoices, agreements, etc.

5?? Break. Snack time.

6?? Then, towards the evening, the 3rd time pocket is dedicated to social media and personal branding. I plan out my content calendar, create content, reply to messages, catch up with colleagues, engage, interact, etc.

7?? Dinner. Family. Walk. Conversations. Sleep :)

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Now again, a few points to note:

• This gives a general idea of my workday. But, I do shuffle up the time pockets as and when required. Days with no meetings/calls are replaced with client work. Social media time can get shuffled. So, it depends on you and what works for you.
• I have figured out my productive hours. Some people are productive in the night, some early morning. This time before noon suits me the best because of my personal reasons.
• I do not follow this routine very strictly. Because I cannot stick to one routine for a long time as it becomes boring for me. So, I keep shifting the routine to different hours of the day. That being said, my work hours are fixed.

This works best when, like me, you also prefer to work in sprints rather than all at a go. Plus, with this method, I can channelize my energy on the task at hand and avoid distractions or pressures of pending tasks – because you know there's a dedicated time for other work as well.

There are numerous other ways with which I manage my work better. More on that later :)

For now, keep following #simrandoshi for some amazing content on writing, freelancing, life, and LinkedIn.

And do comment if this helps you! ??