Freelancers often leave their 9-5 jobs to enjoy a perfect work-life balance. The idea of freedom associated with freelancing, however, can be elusive. If you are a freelance content writer and do not follow a proper work schedule, your life can turn into a mess. You may end up working all the time – no social life, no private life, no weekends. It is therefore immensely significant that you prepare your schedule accordingly so that it gives room to your personal as well as professional needs.
This blog is meant for all those professional content writers who have opted for freelancing and are now struggling to manage work and life. We have curated a few highly-effective tips which will help you to enjoy your freelancing career sans the unending race against time. Read on if you want the key details!
Top 5 Tips and Hacks Which Will Help You to Manage Your Time Like A Pro!
- Set work hours for weekdays and adhere to them strictly: Just because you are a freelance content writer does not mean that you can work at your will. Discipline is the key that will enable you to complete your tasks on time and deliver the projects within the deadline. Work according to the pre-decided work hours. Accept assignments that you can tackle within the fixed work hours. Stop working once your work hours are over, just like you would have done in a regular content writing job.
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- Use the Pomodoro technique to keep work stress at bay: Pomodoro technique is highly effective to improve your attention span and focus on work. It is useless to stare at your laptop screen without typing a single word. Therefore, take a break after every 25 minutes. This break can be of around 5 to 7 minutes and not more than that. Use this break to munch on your favourite snack, or listen to a soulful music track, or maybe have a look at the cricket score. Once you are back at work after the short break, you will feel pumped up and focused.
- Allocate extra work to team members: Freelancing requires intensive multitasking. It involves creating content strategies, typing out the drafts, cold pitching, attending sales calls, proofreading, invoicing, and so much more. Once you have gained a strong footing in the content writing industry, it is, therefore, better to create your own team. You can then assign them different tasks and lower your burden by delegating the work.
- Keep weekends free for yourself: Just like you have a stringent work schedule on weekdays, keep your weekends free. Do not ever compromise with your me-time. Dedicate your weekends to self-care and pampering. Spend quality time with loved ones and enjoy each and every moment. Even if you are getting paid extra, do not fall for the bait. Always try avoiding work at weekends so that you do not end up working like a robot throughout the week.
- Avoid procrastination at all costs: Freelances more often than not fall for the habit of procrastination. They keep procrastinating things till the last moment. This leads to unnecessary chaos and confusion. It is, therefore, necessary that you keep your smartphone away while working. And if you are expecting important calls, then make sure you do not end up scrolling your social media feeds endlessly. Also, if you are habitual of mindless window-shopping or online surfing, then avoid them during work hours.
In a nutshell
A freelance content writer needs to be highly disciplined if he/she wishes to make the most out of a freelancing career. By maintaining a proper routine for everything, one can easily strike the right balance between personal and professional life. If you follow these tips and hacks, then you will be amazed at how smoothly things turn out for you.
A traveller at heart, writer by profession, Bidisha carries 5 years of experience in content writing. Her words give wings to brands, businesses and influencers and help them notch up their work to the next level. Writing is definitely her cup of tea, and she prefers sipping it now and then. When not writing, you will find her cooking and dancing.
