How to Stay Organized as a Freelancer?

ByAgha Sahad Khan Last Updated on

How to stay organized as a freelancer?

Before diving into the topic let’s dissect the key work organized for freelancers.

As you probably know, it literally means to stay in order and arrange everything systematically.

And how should you do it? 

Make a Schedule

Prioritizing your work keeps you focused and disciplined. If you are aware of the task at hand and manage your time accordingly, you can complete all your work on time. It also protects you from the unnecessary stress that can affect your creativity otherwise.

You can find many guidelines too on how to prioritize your work. But you know yourself the best so go for the method that works for you the best. You can start will the easy task and they move to the difficult and time-consuming project. Or you can complete the difficult one first and then enjoy completing the easy task requiring your attention.

It is also important to know when your mind is optimal. Some people function best in the daytime and others prefer to work at night.

Listen to your body clock and make a schedule accordingly.

Take enough projects that you can complete in time.

Ever heard of Don’t bite off more than you can chew?

The expression says it all.

Freelancing is preferred for its unmatched earning opportunities. But you can only enjoy them when you uphold your principles and respect your profession and client.

If you take more work than you can deliver, it will affect your professionalism and future aspect of getting hired.

Freelancers need to be deadline-specific. What’s more important is to maintain the aspect of getting hired again and again. If the client is satisfied with your work, you can get multiple and long term opportunities from the same person.

You don’t only represent yourself but also a region and community of freelancers that are associated with the same region. If you offend your client, it is not only you but your colleague.

From this perspective, you have to be organized not only for yourself but for others as well.

Avoid Multitasking

Now this statement is contradictory. Some people promote multitasking that it saves a lot of your time.

But I hold a different opinion. Multitasking is a very risky job. It can compromise the quality of your work.

Psychology even backed it that people perform better if they only concentrate on the task at hand, and tackle things one at a time.

If you are focusing on multiple things at a time, your attention will be divided. Most of the time we cannot complete a single task because we are attending multiple things each time.

My personal view is you can multitask if you are far ahead in your game. But if it ever threatens to compromise the quality of your work, avoid it.

As a freelancer, you must deliver your best to establish your career. Providing substandard work will not take you far.

Work-Life Balance

This is very important to discuss.

Your work is important so are your loved ones. Both need your time and attention. It is essential to work hard to achieve big, but you should never neglect yourself and the people around you.

Always spare a few moments of your busy schedule for yourself. Spend time with your family. Freelancers’ lives are already very stressful. The tension to get the project, complete it on time, meet the demands of clients, etc. if you stay stressed in your life for a longer time, it will ultimately impact your creativity and can even take you back to square one.

So, you need to de-stress yourself.

How?

Give yourself some breathing space and spend time will the people who accept your imperfection aka your family.

It does wonders. If you don’t trust me, try it.

Overcome Mental Block

As a freelancer, if you are to attract clients and projects, you rely on your creativity and unique ideas. The parameters that help you stand out. But sometimes we all face mental block. It seems like our mind has shrunk.

I cannot think of anything exceptional.

This further exacerbates the condition. We call it a mental block. But how to overcome it?

Give yourself some time. Let me rephrase it. Rest your mind. Your minds get tired too. It needs some rest to work optimally. Do some activities that improve your mood and take a break.

But what if you must submit your work at the earliest and your mind seems to shut down?

The client will not wait for you to overcome to mental block. Will he?

First, don’t panic. It will make you anxious and further worsen your condition. You need to relax and take deep breaths to control the anxiety and get to work. Start doing it. Even if you feel like it is bullshit.

Just continue and complete it. Then redo it. It will get your work done. Even though you are not satisfied from the inside, you can still meet the deadline.

Keep your Client in Confidence

There is a blunder most of us make multiple times. We take a task and when we can’t deliver it on the promised time, we start ghosting the other person. We give lame excuses. And in professional settings, it dents your reputation and career permanently.

So, you must take responsibility for the commitments you make. And if you encounter such a situation where you can’t deliver it no matter what you do. Like you get in an accident, or some personal problem that needs your urgent attention.

You can try to explain the situation to your client beforehand. People understand and compromise in such situations.

This simple act of respect and commitment can establish a powerful rapport with the client. He may cancel the project, but your professionalism will not be affected.

He may hire you in future for other tasks.

Conclusion

To sum it up, just be professional and start taking responsibility. Be mindful of your actions. It will only benefit you in the long term.

Otherwise, immature and disorganize behavior can hurt you in ways you can fathom.

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