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So I guess you’re a freelancer and you’re eager to save time and want to learn how to juggle your mess because life, relationships, work and hobbies sometimes become too much to schedule. I’ve been a freelancer for the past 3 years so I know what you’re going through. I sometimes lose my mind trying to balance it all. But when I feel anxious, I follow a few tips in order to keep everything in place and manage the time in my life to make the most of it. Let’s dive into these tips, shall we?
Prioritize Yourself
Please note this before you do anything else: the time you spend with yourself is the most valuable time you have right now; if you don’t feel well, how on earth can you handle all the problems in your life. So time management starts with you, how you handle your daily life, how you respect your body through healthy eating and exercise habits, when you wake up and how you keep yourself calm. This is what worked for me and can be adapted to anyone who might be reading this:
- I get up at 6-7 am every morning
- I drink a glass of water as soon as I wake up (more than 2L of water a day)
- I eat breakfast before 9am every day and keep the rest of the day light, just enough to keep me energized without feeling drowsy.
- I go to the gym once a week to work out (circuit training or Pilates) and plan to walk three times a day or at least three times a week for about an hour each time.
- I really enjoy hiking – it’s good for my walking as I walk more than 5-7km at a time, and spending time in nature helps me to be calm.
- I usually walk barefoot on the beach or in the garden, or hug a tree to keep myself grounded 🙂
- I’m listening to soothing music to help me focus – try Ludovico Einaudi, which is scientifically proven to help with concentration and relieve anxiety.
- I work with professionals to develop healthy habits: I see a nutritionist every month who tracks my progress – she discovered that I’m lactose intolerant, so I had to cut out dairy, and when I did that, the bloating went away and I feel great now! I also have a fitness trainer who respects my limited time and even notices my injuries and creates specific workouts that make me feel better during them.
- Special Note: At the beginning of each month, take out your calendar and write down the days and times you will take a break. This way you will know how much time you have left to do other things. You are your own boss. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to do a lot of work, it just means you can be flexible with your time.
Write Everything Down
Writing is powerful, and for me it feels like a contract with myself: if I write it, I have to write it.
- Always carry a small notebook with you wherever you go to take notes. But what really works for me is the voice recorder on my phone – it always hears my voice, my thoughts and my ideas 🙂
- Before going to bed, write down a brief plan for the next day to help you save time.
- I bought the Remarkable 2, a paper felt tablet that helps me organize all my work, with separate notebooks for each client and brand that I need to work on as a social media manager. With this tip, I urge you to find the right tools to help you get organized. Having files everywhere can be confusing, and when a deadline comes, the last thing you want to do is search through 10 different notebooks for the notes you took in a meeting.
- List your tasks and put specific times next to them – like the example I’ve written for you below. When you have a time limit, it will feel easier and clearer to complete the task.
Create more, fear less
As a freelancer, under the umbrella of the brand I founded, I use the mantra “Create more, fear less.” Creating more doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good enough, it just means that even if it’s not perfect, you can still continue. In previous jobs, I noticed that I had to put things off because of perfectionism, and I had a hard time finishing things I had started. But when time is limited, instead of creating all this drama, you have to convince yourself to be brave enough to finish the task, even if it’s not perfect, and then come back to improve it. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from creating things. Keep creating.
Be fully present in the present moment
When I’m on my laptop, I tend to be fully present. I don’t let calls, texts, or social media distract me. Same thing when I’m having dinner with my family. Same thing when I’m hanging out with friends. When you’re present, be fully present. Your employees will appreciate you more for it, and your work will love you for it, because the time you’re providing them isn’t distracted by anything else and therefore feels more valuable.
Multitasking is no longer a compliment. In today’s busy culture, the real difference in work is to focus on one task at a time. Paired with your favorite music, you will have a high level of concentration that will allow you to complete your tasks for the day. Don’t try to do everything, just complete the things on your calendar. Special Note: Always leave an hour of free time in your schedule – if something unexpected comes up, you can schedule it in that free time.
The Art of Boundaries
As a freelancer, I thought I would achieve success faster if I said yes to every opportunity that came my way: Wrong! This is just the fastest way to burnout. Be careful with this and learn to say no to things you don’t want to do because it allows you to be authentic, let the right things come your way and put extra effort into the things you really want to do. This applies to both personal life and work life. Balance is everyone’s ultimate goal in life and therefore hard to achieve, so never give up and when you face a difficult situation, always ask yourself: Doing this, will I feel better or will I feel anxious?
Around your daily routine
When you see how other people work, it’s easy to compare yourself. In fact, what really works for me is taking the time to understand what I really like to do and when, which allows me to work around my schedule, not someone else’s. So how do I do this? I schedule each task on a specific day: Mondays and Thursdays are laptop days, for example – this means I’ll spend the morning editing photos, videos, uploading content for clients, and answering emails. Tuesdays are free for work meetings and personal matters (like going to the hairdresser, getting a manicure, etc.). Wednesdays or Fridays are production days, which means I go out to take pictures and videos of clients. If work is light, I’ll give myself a free day to learn something new or explore my island.
Since I’m a mom I try to be with him on weekends, but if I’m working I take him with me so he can help out too, I pay him so he understands where the money comes from and appreciates what he has. On weekdays though, most of the afternoons are about him because I’m his taxi driver 🙂
Taking regular breaks can work wonders
Imagine you work non-stop all day. I bet you’ll be very tired at 5pm. What works for me: Work for 30 minutes and then take a 5-minute break Complete and uninterrupted focus – Drink water, walk around, listen to a podcast for motivation, eat a healthy snack. As long as you’re getting enough exercise and nutrition, it’s good for you and will keep you energized throughout the day.
If you work non-stop for a month, plan a trip or a big reward in advance – at least you will think about it and you will know that it will pay off when the hard work is done. I remember when I worked full time for a festival, I slept only 6 hours in 7 days (I was like a zombie), I couldn’t see my son during the day and could only kiss him when I got home late at night. What kept me going was the promise I made to him: “After the festival, I’m going to take you on a 3-day road trip, you decide where we go and what we do.” Now you can imagine what happened after the festival. It was one of the most memorable weekends I’ve had with him so far, what an adventure.
“Less mindless noise, more mindful magic”
Make this commitment to yourself.
Stop wasting time
Stop scrolling.
Stop those meetings that might only take 5 minutes to talk.
Stop criticizing.
Stop wishing to be someone else.
do not think too much.
Don’t daydream all the time (daydreaming can actually be good for your creativity sometimes, so make that distinction)
Stop blaming others for your own responsibilities.
Stop being so hard on yourself.
Stop wasting time.
Respect time and time will respect you.
If you liked this blog post, please share it with your friends who need it.
cheers,
Marianna xoxo
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