Times are changing, and the concept of working at home is gaining ground. The idea is primarily technology driven.
However, with freedom comes responsibility. In as much as freelancing allows you to work wherever you are, you have to pay a price for it. You set your rules in regards to work, and you are liable if you do not perform well.
If you waste your time, you will not finish enough work.
Consequently, you won’t have enough cash to cater for your bills. Wasting time will cultivate a habit of being unproductive.
“When you work, work. When you play, play. Don’t mix the two.” — Jim Rohn.
Do not mix work and play. When it is time to work, concentrate on working. When it’s time to relax, focus on relaxing.
Build a Framework
Even though you quit your 8-5 job so that you could have freedom, having a framework is essential.
When building your framework, select timings that confer to your lifestyle.
You do not have to follow the 8-5 schedule. The important thing is that you develop a plan and follow it strictly.
Having a schedule increases productivity. Begin with choosing the hours you want to work and those you wish to relax.
Develop a daily schedule based on your commitment, while ensuring you balance work and play.
Work in Bits
Break every large task into smaller manageable milestones.
For instance, when a writer is working on a book, he can break it down to smaller tasks such as chapters or half.
Doing this makes the task seem less difficult and it becomes easier to manage the task.
Let’s say you have three articles you need to write, the typical way would be working on each article then moving to the next after you are done.
Consider doing it differently- break each article into smaller portions, plan, research, work on them, edit then submit the work. Batching up tasks will save you a lot of time.
Automate! Automate! Automate!
Automation is the way to go. Currently, it is possible to schedule everything, from emails to Instagram updates to blog posts.
Instead of waiting for the ideal time to post to your blog, why not get it ready the moment you are done writing the piece?
You can put it on schedule such that it will be posted automatically when you want it to. This way, you are free to go on with your activities and leave the program to work magic for you.
Deactivate Notifications
This happens to a lot of freelancers: while you are busy working on a project, the phone beeps and you run to check it. In the end, you waste a lot of time on your phone.
The best thing is to switch off notifications such that you eliminate disturbances.
What Time of the Day are You Highly Productive?
Everybody is different. There is no perfect time for everyone to work. Some will prefer to work late night while others are early risers.
If you want to succeed at freelancing, you must identify the time you work best.
This is one advantage that freelancing has over other career options; they are free to plan their schedules.
Take a Power Nap
Many successful individuals like Sir Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein embraced the art of napping.
Taking a nap during the day does not imply you are aging. In fact, people who nap have been found to have very productive days.
A 20 minutes nap can enhance your energy levels to a point you cannot imagine. If you feel sluggish, maybe you need a power nap.
Get Enough Sleep
Besides napping, do you get adequate sleep? Some people are satisfied with eight hours of sleep while others require less.
Thus, there is no standard for enough sleep.
The important thing is to make sure that you have enough rest so that you can maintain your concentration and energy levels all through the day.
Eat Healthy
Food is a key factor in maintaining energy levels throughout the day. If you do not feed well, your productivity levels will be affected.
Do not eat too much or too little food. Make sure you consume only enough. In case you feel sluggish, get a mug of coffee or hot chocolate, either of which will boost your energy without increasing the waistline.
Consider including healthy foods into your diet. For instance, banana, turkey and spinach boost serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that had been linked to happiness.
When you are happy, you are bound to have more energy and consequently higher productivity.
Work Out
Include regular work out sessions in your daily schedule. A little exercise done frequently is considered as effective as running a marathon.
Personally, I find morning workouts to be very effective in clearing my mind and helping me to get ready for the day’s activities. During the day, I like taking a short thirty minutes walk to break the work routine.
During exercises, the body releases chemicals that boost our morale.
Remember that anything that makes us feel nice will boost our energy levels and consequently improve our productivity.
The image of working is often associated with a physical place of work, mostly an office. There are many reasons for having a physical location, such as face-to-face interaction.
On the downside, the biggest challenge for most people who want to set up businesses is office space.
The cost of putting up an office is often what kills the morale of potential business owners.
That is why more people need to embrace the concept of working from home.
Some people do not like working from home. They feel it is not as productive as working from an office set up. If you have had this mentality in the past, it is the high time to stop. This post has explained how you can enjoy 100% productivity from home.
Now you have all you require to skyrocket your freelancing career. Following this guide will ensure you have a successful career.
Featured Image Credit: CC 0; Public Domain. View original image on pixabay.com.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions stated in this post are that of the author, and Return On Now may or may not agree with any or all of the commentary.
Danny Donchev
Latest posts by Danny Donchev (see all)
- 9 Effective Productivity Tips for Freelancers - May 9, 2017
