When you work independently as a freelancer, maximizing your productivity is vital to getting the most value for your time. Enhancing performance efficiency and eliminating time-wasters will help you achieve the success you want.
The following is a quick look at some of the simplest and most effective things you can do as a freelancer to improve productivity.
Studies throughout the 1900s supported the notion that workers in factories were more productive over the course of a day when allowed breaks. The same principle applies to freelancers, who typically need mental breaks to maintain a high level of productivity.
A structured routine is especially beneficial for maintaining stamina and motivation. Try breaking your work time into 30-minute segments, with 25 minutes of on-time and 5 minutes of rest. After an extended work session of a few hours, take a longer break before getting back into your work.
“I’m not a morning person,” is a common excuse used by people who delay the start of their day. In truth, most “morning people” have trained themselves to ramp-up performance early. Establish a standard wake time, which your body adjusts to, and create a routine that allows you to wake up, get your mind and body ready, and begin work.
These may seem like old standards, but many freelancers don’t keep a consistent schedule and to-do list. Keep a schedule of your daily and weekly work assignments. Include personal items on your schedule to avoid over-booking your time and being stressed. Before you break away from work at the end of each day, create or modify your to-do list for the next day.
Mindfulness is a practice that can help you sharpen your ability to stay focused on the moment and eliminate distracting thoughts from your mind. The “Calm” app is a popular tool to aid in your ability to learn and practice meditation and mindfulness. Incorporate this into the start of your day, and include it as needed for refreshers during the time.
We all have things that get in the way of productivity by serving as tempting distractions. For some, checking social media, playing around on a mobile device or sifting through the overnight news are those distractions. You may have others as well. Whenever you recognize a distraction from productivity, eliminate it from your workday. If necessary, plan some personal time after work hours to engage in these personal or social activities.
Microsoft Outlook and Google Docs are among simple organizational tools you can use to plan and manage your day. Outlook’s calendar enables you to block off specific times for work and personal activities, and it delivers reminders to you. Google Docs allows you to create and edit work tasks so you can keep track of progress on projects. You can invite clients or others to view and edit your documents as well.
These are some of the simplest but most helpful things you can do to maximize your productivity as freelancers! The sooner you implement these strategies, the sooner you can earn more money from your time investment.