by Rachel Smith
18 March 2015
I quit work six months ago to go freelance and I’m finding the day-to-day work-life organisation a real challenge. I’m n0t very organised generally, and realise that being in an office with structures in place suited my (generally) lazy nature. But now it’s all on me, I’m struggling and find I often miss deadlines (I know) and my admin, invoicing system etc is completely shot. Any ideas to help? R
You’re not alone. Not everyone’s a born organiser, or has iron clad willpower. Without your once normal 9-5 structure, it can be easy to find that hitting the snooze button, catching up with friends or cruising the net have stolen your whole day. And you invariably find yourself working all weekend to play catch up.
But getting systems in place is easier than you think. Personally I love routine / structure and a excel spreadsheet to-do list, which is slightly anal I know. (In my defence it’s largely due to the fact that I’m working, studying and raising children alone. So life is automatically punctuated by regular meals, school drop-off, sports, class times etc. creating an organic, if not hectic, schedule.) But if it doesn’t come naturally, here’s what to try:
Figure out what’s holding you back. Do you hate pitching? Worry so much about the writing side of things that you put it off? Or do you need to admit to yourself that you don’t have the drive you need to be freelance and it might be better to read the job section? If it’s the former make these tasks the first cab off the rank and you’ll find you stop procrastinating and get more done. If it’s the latter, there’s no shame in admitting you’d rather be back in an office. Freelancing isn’t for everyone.
Move to your own beat. I believe we all have our own natural writing rhythm. If you’re a night owl who wants to bash out your pose in the wee hours, don’t fight that urge. Spend the daylight on research, marketing and book-keeping. Freelancing gives us the freedom to make these choices and you’re better off doing things when you want to do them rather than trying to force yourself into a 9-5 box.
Reward yourself. One of the great things about being freelance is never having to commute again. Steal back this time by getting up early and eating a good breakfast, skimming the headlines, exercising or whatever it is that you can pleasurably start your day with. It will put you in the right headspace to put in some good solid hours before breaking for a lunchtime walk or email attack.
Bite, don’t chew. The trick with goal-setting is to break them down into manageable, achievable chunks. How to start? Make a list putting the most important three tasks you NEED to get done today. Don’t pick up the phone, answer emails or pat the dog till you’ve got at least one under your belt. For more ideas check out Rachel’s post on making a ‘will-do’ list.
Put a box round it. Regular readers will know that my favourite way of prioritising is using the Eisenhower Matrix to work out if things are ‘Urgent and Important’, ‘Urgent but Not Important’, ‘Important but Not Urgent’ or ‘Neither Urgent nor Important’. Pigeonhole them then tackle the most urgent.
Clear your desk. For some of us, working from home can mean that your work station is actually the kitchen table. The table with remnants of last night’s dinner, or piles of laundry awaiting folding. No one can feel motivated in such an environment so it’s up to you to respect your space and do a quick clean-sweep before you start work. Clear desk, clear mind!
Pin it. Keeping a wall chart and or calendar with deadlines marked can be a great visual reminder of your time keeping goals. As you’re just staring out, it may be that your schedule’s looking a little lean. So why not mark the chart with clear goals such as, Monday: pitch, Tuesday: research/write, Wednesday: chase up leads, Thursday: bookkeep, pitch and write, Friday: network with freelance pals. This last one isn’t just an excuse to crack open a cold one. It’s a really great tool to learn from people who have been there and done it.
Do you have some advice on how to be a lean mean organized machine? We’d love to hear your tips.
Creating a vision board with your long term career goals is also really useful. It helped me a lot during tough times and it’s a constant reminder that you shouldn’t give up.