As the saying goes “Time is Money”. Managing your time effectively can lead to a happy and balanced life and is critical to any kind of business. Getting into a schedule/habit might take some time but, for sure, will be beneficial.

Being mindful of where and how you spend your time is something that one needs to pay attention to. As a freelancer, you are your own boss, thus you are required to manage your time yourself. If the time in hand is not organized, you might end up finishing a day with zero productivity.

To get the most out of our time, we all are aware that we have to stay away from distractions like social media, emails, and personal stuff. But these are also important. The best way to stay focussed and avoid multitasking. Here are some tips that might help you manage your time effectively thus increasing your productivity.

  • Fix your schedule:

The benefit of being a freelancer is that you can work as per your convenience. Identify the time when you are most productive. Create a schedule around these hours and stick to the schedule with complete dedication. Fix the time for even the smallest task like checking emails and surfing the internet.

Scheduling your day and following the schedule not only makes you productive but lets you set the practical timelines for the successful completion of tasks. It will be easier to stick to your commitment of project deliveries and provide you the leverage of taking up new projects based on the clarity on availability of time.

  • Organize your day:

Divide your day in a way that you allocate the time to the most important task and project when your energy levels are high. Try to fix the meetings/calls in a way that your productive time does not get affected. Rejuvenating your mind should also be incorporated in your day to prevent burnouts and to keep your creative side active.

To organize your day, you need to organize your documentation and information access. Take help of an automated tool to keep track of all the information like Adobe Connect. Spending a little time in organizing yourself and your time will save you a lot of productive time providing you a sense of achievement.

  • Breaks are important:

It is scientifically proven that any work done at a length requires extra effort and may not be as productive. Of course, this length of time may vary from person to person. Small breaks help in recollecting your energies to focus better on the task. There are various proven techniques of dividing your work and breaks to achieve the maximum out of your time. For example, The pomodoro technique suggests that you should take a small 5 minute break after every 25 minutes of work. For every four such slots you can take a longer break of 15-20 minutes. Another example is The Eisenhower method, which suggests you split the tasks in four parts : Important & urgent, Important but not urgent, Urgent but not important, and Neither important nor urgent. Prioritise your work accordingly.

  • Minimize distractions:

Keeping an update on what’s happening around via various social media platforms and news is a good habit. However, allocating specific time slots to check them is the better habit. Most of the smartphones have the inbuilt feature of “do not disturb” mode or zen mode. Mute all the social media notifications. Place your workstation in the peaceful corner. Use tools to keep tap on your social media usage during work hours. 

Increased focus and keeping the distractions away will help you to be more productive. This will also help you in prioritizing your tasks.

Conclusion:

Managing your time wisely and in a structured manner will be able to focus on priorities and maintain a good pace with your deliverables. This in turn will fetch you more clients and better profits.