I'm not committed to a 9-to-5 job. I don't yearn to do so. I love the freelancer's life.
It's not only me, but freelancing tempts a lot of folks.
The MGI survey concluded that nearly 14% of people in traditional jobs want to become independent primary earners.
Do you know why?Because of the freedom and flexibility it offers.
Not only during a global pandemic (like COVID, recently), they can always work from home, settling down with their preferred working hours. They can go out for a holiday to stunning Miami beaches in-between the busy weeks as long as they get their work done.
But not all freelancers relish their work of style.
Many of them feel overwhelmed with their running projects and blended workload. They struggle day-in-day-out because of the unevenness between work-life and family. They are also bothered about financial securities due to variable income, as less than 50 percent of freelancers (global statistics) are pleased with what they're earning.
In some months, during peak weeks, they may find a chunk of more work than they can manage, leading to long hours of work. And in other months, they may encounter a spot where not enough earnings coming in, and they could avert their focus on soliciting new business possibilities.
As a result, they fall into the trap of overworking and lose the real perk of having valuable time they could spend with friends and families.
There is a lot of stress yielders moment around freelancers' life. Sharing daily time with multiple clients, deadlines, working late nights, checking email boxes and Skype/Slack messages, and marketing themselves on social media are often time-consuming.
All of this may alter your work-life balance, and as a result, your productivity and time are spoiled.
So, the point is: how can someone protect their productivity at the peak and prevent burnout while managing a peculiar work and family life balance?
Here's how I do it...Run a CalendarThe first few months of my freelancing career were a jumble.
- Not set priorities
- Not pre-defined work schedule
- A lack of discipline
- Not syncing time-line as per Client's geography
This was a time when I was just moving with the flow and used to adjust my plans abruptly based on immediate priorities.
Steadily, I learned that to be flourished while freelancing - it's critical to make a schedule and stick to it.
You also need to plan both work and other life activities ahead of time and adhere to the plan. So, if you decided to have a night off with the family on Wednesday, do not change your plans because of work. Besides, having a calendar will help you keep track of your endeavors so that you don't forget anything and won't have to do things at the last moment.
Design Your Workspace and ScheduleSome freelancers can even work from their couches or the lobby of a hotel, but you need to fine-tune your productivity space. This could be a little home office you love to work in or explore a coworking space near your home, anything you like. If you can manage a space to work apart from your home, even occasionally, it would do exceptionally fine for work-life balance.Make sure your desk is organized, and all of the items you need should be in close range to minimize interruption.
However, adjust the schedule to your biological clock. Identify when you are the most productive and work on those hours. For the rest of your day, you can dedicate yourself to your family and friends. Moreover, take your specific family traditions into account.
If Possible, Outsource Some PortionMany freelancers deem they can deal with all the chores themselves. But there might be some stages you're not excellent at, and implementing that will bring your long hours.
As we discussed earlier, sometimes, there's more work to be done, and solopreneurs often fall behind their deadlines. Not just you, but 45 percent of entrepreneurs are stressed.
Having some tasks outsourced can be a real help.For you, this simply means hiring someone to do the part of the job.
Find a list of things you're not good at, work on the details to disclose, and hire someone really skilled freelancer to do the work for you.
It's as simple as that. However, you should keep a track of work progress to preserve the quality.
Are You a Multitasker?Researches show that it costs you 20 percent of your productivity loss in switching back and forth.
Single-tasking, that's the success formula for freelancers like you and me.
Do not jump from one task to another, but rather stay focused.
If you are a writer, do not write while you're researching and gathering data and statistics. Single-tasking lets you cease tasks quicker at a high-quality proportion.
Simplify Your Work by Embracing ApplicationsDo you use Freshbooks, Basecamp, Slack, and MailChimp sort of tools to organize and simplify your work?
"For a digital-savvy professional and blogger like mine, having the right set of tools for the job can make a difference," said Shyam Bhardwaj, an SEO consultant.
Most freelancers utilize an array of mobile apps or desktop tools, from managing task lists, creating design templates, marketing their services, and communicating with clients to managing their invoices.
YES isn't Always Right
Let's confess this - you want to seize all the deals possible. You don't want to say NO to any new offer.
But if you want to maintain a healthy balance between your work and personal life, you will have to learn to say NO.
You'll make yourself isolated from your family if you put too much on your plate. You should know when to put a STOP once you've something you can logically manage at one time.Be in touch with them and let them know to allow you some lead time for their projects.
Wrapping UpHappy employees tend to be 12 percent more productive, and family is the most important thing in your life. You're in the freelancing business to enjoy your freedom, so don't lose a chance to be with them.
Relying on your close ones is one of the best ways to balance things out. Don't hesitate to share certain things with them. So, remember to have fun and do things you like as a reward for all the hard work.