Guerrilla Time Management for Freelancers
Ever wonder what’s the difference between ‘important’ and ‘urgent?’ Being a freelancer means constant fear of the unknown – of unstable income and not knowing when the next project will start. This is the main reason why many freelancers get into the greedy plate mode, where they take more projects than they can really chew. This is where the problem starts.
How Can You Manage Your Time as a Freelancer?
If you’re super organized, lucky you! For the rest who are struggling to keep time on their sleeves, it is a daily quest for the holy grail. Is time management really that elusive? Not, if you follow these guerrilla techniques:
1. Go Back to the Future
If you’re having troubles beating the deadlines, imagine that tomorrow is always your D-day. So, you better have a head start on tomorrow’s task – TODAY. At the end of the week, you’ll have more quality time for yourself. On a plus, you make your clients happy as well.
2. View Things with a Horse’s Eyes
Why do you think they put covers on the eyes of a horse? You need to look ahead in a straight line and do things one at a time. You may have skills cut above the rest, but unless you have super human powers, you better stay away from doing things all at once.
3. Sleep Early, Wake Up Earlier
Nothing beats quality sleep at nights in giving you that fresh feeling to start your day anew. Try waking up at six in the morning and have a few minutes walk to jump start your work day. You’ll be amazed at how short the day seems to be and you’ll be done before the clock strikes three.
4. Write It Down!
Studies show that 60% of people don’t always follow their electronic calendars or to-do-list. By writing down your goals, you reinforce the idea into your subconscious mind. It simply makes things more manageable.
5. The Pavlov Technique
Maybe you haven’t heard of this experiment done on a dog, but by having something to trigger you to work – it can help you become more productive. It can be anything, like your favorite music or a bowl of your yummy treats. Each day you hear or see these triggers, it just motivates you to put on a productive hat.
6. Skip Your Appointments
Now, many will disagree, but unless these appointments are really urgent, you just have to skip them. If someone wants to meet you, make that person call a day before. If you’re not free by then, don’t go. If they can email you instead, ask for it.
7. ‘Less is More’ Approach
Take this wisdom from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and free your work space from all the mess. Imagine if you have to walk more than 25 steps to make a fax. That’s a few minutes wasted. Compute how many times you do these in a day; in a week. Keep everything organized and easy to find. It saves you time ( and headaches ).
You cannot stop time. Nobody can. But, you can manage yourself and use your time wisely. The choice will always be yours.
How about You? Do you have time management tricks that work? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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