Time Management for Freelancers: 13 Tips To Save You Hours

Did you know that most freelancers are more likely to work 41-50 hours a week?

Effectively managing your own time or the time of your staff has a significant impact on your capacity to achieve goals. In the real world, setting objectives is an important element of time management freelance.

Uncertain goals and erroneous priorities may consume time that you do not have. Best time management for freelancers entails not just allocating length to activities but also tracking where time really goes. 

There is no single correct technique to manage your time. We’ll go through the importance of time management for freelancers and 13 awesome tips to help you regain control of your tasks—and your time.

Why Time Management is Important For Freelancers?

Time management for freelancers is to ensure productivity and success in their jobs. Because freelancers frequently juggle several projects, consumers, and deadlines, efficient freelancer time management is an essential ability.

Freelancers can improve their workflow, satisfy client demands, and maintain a good life balance at work by learning freelance time management.

Efficient time management enables freelancers to use their valuable time wisely, concentrating on high-priority projects while avoiding distractions.

This not only increases their productivity but also strengthens their reputation for dependability and professionalism, which is important for obtaining repeat customers and recommendations.

Additionally, freelance time management allows freelancers to set up organized calendars, allowing them to better combine work duties with personal life and therefore, reduce stress and freelance burnout.

Finally, freelancers who prioritize time management are better prepared to survive in the competitive field of freelancing, accomplishing their professional objectives while maintaining a good work-life balance.

13 Actionable Tips For Time Management For Freelancers

Following are the tips that will help you out in freelancer time management:

1. Make a Timetable 

Schedules for freelancers are often flexible. One of the most frequent errors made by new freelancers is to make use of this flexibility and use it as a justification for punctuality.

Setting a schedule and following it is the greatest approach to avoid getting oneself into a time-related issue.

Freelancing’s little secret is that it often looks like a 9 to 5 job, a 10 to 6 job, or an 8 to 4 job. Regardless of your plans, you’ll probably be working throughout the day when customers are at work.

If you are not available to answer their calls when they call, you risk losing your job or being turned over for the next opportunity.

2. Take A Break 

Going nonstop all day long is not being productive. Taking frequent breaks is important for productivity. 

Keep in mind that you often have to get up at work to use the restroom, get something to drink or eat, talk with coworkers, or attend meetings. It’s simple to become lazy at work at home and neglect to get up. 

By scheduling breaks, you can retrain your brain and relax your muscles, which may help you become more productive once you resume your work.

3. Learn to Say “No”

Having a clear knowledge of what is less important than other things is one advantage to defining your priorities.

Saying “no” to work is not always simple, but it gets easier if you can justify your decision by mentioning your present priorities. Everyone can gain from having more clarity if you set your own priorities and communicate them to the other team members.

See if you can assign the work to another team member if it needs to be done but isn’t a priority for you.

Remember that assigning a task to someone else doesn’t mean it’s not important; it only indicates that it doesn’t fit in with your current demands. 

4. Consider Hiring Some Team Members

If you find yourself struggling to meet all of your deadlines, it is now time to recruit your own freelancers to assist you. Websites like Upwork are wonderful places to look for remote workers with whom you can share your duties.

When you hire someone to assist you in meeting deadlines and managing your time better, you may need to raise your own individual rates in order to pay the workers under you a fair salary.

You will have to take the time to delegate tasks and in hiring new members.

5. Reduce Your Information Intake

There are many ways to obtain information. It can be silly, such as surfing Hacker News or Twitter. In the form of a phone call or meeting, it can, at times, seem important. The truth is that tasking is nearly impossible.

I frequently tell my clients, especially if they want something done quickly, that I cannot function if I’m on the phone discussing what has to be done.

Although information isn’t always harmful, being on a diet is a fantastic idea. When you’re attempting to work and produce, keep that in mind.

6. Consider Time Blocking

Time blocking is a wonderful way to try out time management as a freelancer. Sit at your computer each morning and use an app like Google Calendar to set off time for the various things that you need to do throughout the day.

Try to keep to the times you set for yourself and observe exactly what you can get done in each of those time slots. 

This helps you stay on top of all the jobs you have due and is the ideal technique to determine how much time a project actually takes.

7. Avoid Overworking Yourself

By just accepting the work you can do, it’s necessary to maintain your mental health. Otherwise, it may result in poor results, which could affect your client connections in the long run.

There are many situations of freelancers abandoning projects because they are exhausted and can’t complete their tasks on time.

Freelancers, especially those starting out, have a tendency to take on as many jobs as possible, believing that there will be no second chances, while their major goal would be to find something steady that they can hold for the long term.

8. Treat Yourself

At work, you may be rewarded for a job well done with a meeting comment, a complimentary lunch, or a fun team activity. 

But it might be simple to overlook giving yourself a break when you work for yourself. 

Try rewarding yourself when you achieve important goals, such as making time for a special pastime, going on a day trip, or treating yourself to your favorite food.

9. Keep Track of Your Workload

Due to the stress that comes from working too much, it can be challenging to maintain focus and productivity. 

Check your workload and make sure you’re not taking on too much.

After all, you won’t do your finest work if you’re juggling multiple projects. Rather, try to say no while maintaining your workload fair.

10. Plan an Administrative Day

Many freelancers will set aside Monday to do all of the week’s scheduling, whether it involves organizing everything, decluttering social media for their own business, delivering contracts and bills, or simply catching up on emails.

One thing to remember about admin days is that you should not schedule customer meetings or phone calls on this day; instead, devote the entire day to your business.

Make it clear to your clients that you are unavailable for calls or meetings on Mondays (or whatever day you choose), but will respond to emails.

11. Make a Note of it

Do you feel as though you are wasting time and not doing much?

Try keeping a time diary. Write down what you do and when you do it for a specific length of time, like a day or a week. 

Consider it to be a time and activity journal instead of one that tracks calories and nutrients.

At the conclusion of the time given, it should be evident whether you’re spending hours on social media or simply forgetting to bill for time spent on a project. In either case, you can adjust accordingly.

12. Begin with the Most Unappealing Task

When you have a task that you despise, it can feel like it fills your entire day. Rather than putting off doing things, do it first. 

After you’ve completed your least favorite chore and gotten it out of the way, you may feel as if you have more energy than before, and your other tasks don’t seem as difficult. 

This makes it easier to complete all of the things that are scheduled for the day.

13. Take Some Time off

Sometimes, personal health days are all you need to suddenly love your work more and be more productive each day. 

Freelancers frequently neglect to take a day off. Give yourself the weekend off, even if that means it!

When you take a day off, make sure to let your clients know in advance so they are aware you won’t be able to speak with them that day in case something comes up.

Obviously, there is no real way to communicate in advance if you wind up getting sick, but keep the lines of communication open at all times.

Wrapping It Up

For many people who wish to be their own boss and control their work days, being a freelancer is an enticing vocation.

However, as a freelancer, you are accountable for building successful habits such as time management and productivity. 

You can create behavioral patterns with the help of these methods so that you can better manage your time and feel more secure in your freelance employment.

The most common mistakes made by new freelancers are being ineffective and wasting time.

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