You are a freelancer and you are tired, lacking any motivation. I’ll tell you why. It’s because you don’t have your daily freelance routine.
I decided that we’d be chatting FREELANCE WORK ROUTINE over here today!
This is the routine I’ve slowly developed for myself through the years. It helps me stay focused and productive but still remain fresh, motivated on the next day and happy throughout the year. I believe if you give it a try it can do the same for you.
So, when I first started freelancing after leaving my full-time job – I didn’t keep a routine at all. I was enjoying the freedom! But what I soon realized was that routine is important for all jobs, including a freelancer.
So don’t think of a schedule as a bad thing. Maybe it was when you were salaried but as a freelancer – it’s your personal guide to success.
- Set a Goal for the year! If you’re feeling stressed about all the things you have to do every day – making lists, goals and plans – are so helpful! Telling yourself that you’re working isn’t good enough. When will you check email? When will you plan? When will you do a certain type of work? Outlining this is great because it keeps you from spending too much time on one area and not enough time on the next. For me, I’ve noticed it’s easiest when all hours have a goal. Meaning – focus on the larger picture.What are the most important things for you in your life?
And make them your goals for the year! For me – it is very important to develop my outer beauty as well as my inner beauty.
So my outer beauty (my body) can be developed if I exercise or eat good food. These things make me healthy.
And my inner beauty (soul, spirit) can become stronger if I, let’s say, continue to develop my talent this year (graphic design & drawing), and also if I focus on relationships with myself, my family etc. I can achieve that by doing meditations, reading books and something like that. These things will make me a smart person.
So I can be healthier this year, by developing my outer beauty, and I can become smarter – both professionally and spiritually by developing my inner beauty. These two things will make me (are making me) really happy!
And I achieve those goals by setting them in my everyday work routine! - Here is my schedule:
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
When I get up – I eat breakfast, I shower, I go and meditate. How long I meditate – depends on how busy I am in the mornings. I truly like to meditate for 20 minutes, but even 10 minutes – when I’m having the busy morning – even those 10 minutes will help me a lot. This will give me more calmness, especially when I’m having deadlines.
10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Sit down at my desk. Brew a large cup of coffee. Check emails. Set a plan for today’s work by priorities – the most important task of the day and additional tasks. Set timers via iPhone for all of my tasks. And I keep in mind that the first 4 hours are the most productive – so the tasks should be planned accordingly. (the most important, important, the least important etc.)
11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Work – accomplishing the tasks. No Facebook, no Youtube, no phone calls.
1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Mondays, Fridays
An hour break – go out and run – explore new streets in my city. Running helps me to step away from working, makes me energised and refreshes me – and I’m able to come back to work with a clearer mind.
11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
12:45 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Take a 15-minute break (a walk around the house, snack, phone call to mom, boyfriend etc).
1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Lunch. Something healthy – a bowl of a salad or soup. I’m also more productive when I have a proper lunch. So I usually take a half an hour to cook and eat something tasty and listen to an audio book.
2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
3:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Back at my desk focusing on other projects (tasks) — usually important, but not the most important and urgent.
3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Again take a 15-minute break (do laundry, drink tea etc).
4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Working on the last task — usually not that important, task that doesn’t need much creativity. But still – a task that needs to be done that day.
5:00 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Reply briefly to emails and other messages. Then off to the kitchen to cook dinner, or for a long walk. Or just do something that’s not work related.
One thing I realised – successful people must keep a schedule. It’s because they are so busy. Do you want to be successful? Then you may as well act like it now.
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