How do I Do Time Management for Freelancers (12 Strategies to reduce stress)

Contents

•     Why Is Time Management So Hard for freelancers?
•     12 Time Management Tips for freelancers
• 1. Insist on a Thorough Client Note
• 2. Break Down Bigger Tasks
• 3. Make sure you have realistic deadlines and milestones
• 4. Be able to clearly communicate the deliverables of others
• 5. Factors In "Scope Creep"
• 6. "Eat the Frog"
• 7. Slumber Through Slump
• 8. Timebox Your Work
• 9. Bust the Multitasking Myth
• 10. Track Your Time
• 11. Use Flexible Plugins to Help With Scope Creep
• 12. Reduce time with plugins that do the heavy lifting
• BONUS TIP 13. Reduce the time spent on client handovers
•       The Takeaway

Reader Disclosure

It can be a bit like a plate-spinning act.

You've got to meet deadlines. It's important to ensure that clients are content across a variety of projects at once, all the at the same time trying to keep some semblance of a work-life balance.

You're lucky, aren't you?

Well, here's some hope. Here's a collection of 12 techniques for managing time to help you freelancers get your routines in order and take back your control over your time.

Choose and select the options that you like the most. Develop a strategy that which you will use for future projects.

• Build stronger relationships with your clients,
• Save yourself a few night of sleepless nights.
• and clock off with the satisfaction of having worked hard all day and get ready for your dinner.

It's totally doable, just read on to find out what you need to know.

Why is Time Management So Hard for freelancers?

 One of the most rewarding aspects of being a freelancer taking control of your time.

• Your deadlines are agreed upon with your customers.
• It is your choice when to take breaks.
• You pick your projects
• It is your choice what projects you work on at each given time.

However...

 One of the most difficult aspects for freelancers is (you you guessed it) taking care of your own time.

• Misjudge how long something will require, and it's up to you.
• If you're not managing your time, you may never take any breaks.
• If you're not able to say "no" to initiatives, you'll end up burning out.
• Procrastinate on fun or easy jobs, and you'll need work on difficult tasks until the last minute.
• Customers, just like bosses are also expected to communicate and how things are to be done.
• The latest technologies as well as changing clients' requirements may add an extra delays to your project.

Focusing and staying on the right track isn't a walk in the park, and even the best-organized people struggle with it.

However, it is a skill that you can learn. Some people find it easier than others, however with effort and the help of a few techniques, tips and tricks, everyone is able to achieve it.

Yes, that means YOU!

12 Time Management Hacks for Freelancers

1. Demand a complete client Brief

Uncertainty and numerous edits by clients are frustrating and huge time-wasters!

Therefore, prior to jumping headfirst into a project make sure you've got a complete brief. The brief should describe the scope of your project...

•   Scope  
•   Objectives  
•   Target audience  
• Anything special needs which can assist you to make plans for your time and funds.

Don't be shy about having a discussion with a consultant. It's much more efficient and professional to start this process in the beginning rather than making changes as you go.

2. Break down larger tasks

Have you ever looked at a massive task and felt a tingle of anxiety, wondering how you're going about tackling it? We've all been there!

The secret sauce to accomplishing your goals lies by breaking down big projects into smaller, digestible ones. This makes it easier to remain on track and also to be able to enjoy small victories along the way.

Additionally, it's an excellent technique to stay laser-sharp and avoid feeling that dreaded anxiety.

If you're facing a challenging job, think of: divide and conquer!

3. Set Realistic Deadlines and Milestones

Be honest with yourself about what time each project will require, and when you are unsure, overestimate!

It happens. Changes, bugs and untested technologies will always pop out just as you believe that you're on top of things.

As a bonus it also allows you to avoid those annoying blue delayed deadline alerts that knock a blow to your self-esteem and consume you with energy.

4. Clearly Communicate Deliverables From Others

As a freelancer, you might not have an official team to work with, but you often still have to work with professionals such as copywriters, designers, etc.

5. Factors In "Scope Creep"

Ever heard of the term "scope creep"? Whether or not you've heard it from freelancers, you've encountered it.

About 50 percent of projects experience scope creep..

This is the case when projects extend beyond their initial scope as clients ask for changes or new demands. This means that even you've done your best when you've calculated the amount of time you'll need, it will not be enough.

Don't get caught off-guard! Add in some extra time to accommodate the scary increase. The majority of times 20-30% of the buffer is sufficient, but it all depends on the caliber of the project as well as the level of detail that the client's brief is (see Tip 1).

6. "Eat the Frog"

 "If it's your job to feed a frog you should do it early in the morning. Nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day."

You might've seen this quote, falsely attributed to Mark Twain, circling the internet.

Now, hopefully, there's no way to get money to feed Frogs. However, there is some truth in the notion that you must finish the toughest work done before dawn.

Stanford professor of neurobiology and psychiatry, Andrew Huberman agrees. Andrew Huberman claims to get 90 minutes of highly focused work accomplished in the morning. It is the ideal moment to begin your most taxing work of the day.

7. The Churning Slump

However, you've got to make allowances for the times during the day when the brain will not work.

Maybe your energy levels are low, or maybe the 90 minutes have come to an end and you need to break up a long stretch of intense working with something else.

Instead of overtaxing your mind, pick another less intensive jobto help you keep momentum and prevent burnout. This could include tasks such as making minor styling adjustments and responding to emails or organizing your workspace.

Reserve these tasks only for times when you absolutely have a need for they Avoid using these as a reason to procrastination.

Prioritizing your work based on their significance as well as their difficulty level it will allow you to work more efficiently and avoid exhaustion.

While you're at it, you'll be making progress on all aspects of the project.

8. Timebox Your tasks

The standard procedure to start an assignment and work until it's finished. We've got a different approach.

With timeboxing you allocate specific time slots for each task. This helps you focus, eliminate distractionsand stay on the right track.

At the beginning of each day, review your to-do list and determine how much time you want to dedicate to each item.

Aim to complete your task within the allocated time. If it takes longer than anticipated, plan in another time slot the following day, and move on.

This can be particularly helpful when you're a perfectionist and spends hours working on unnecessary details that go beyond the scope of what's needed. This forces you to prioritize other tasks on your list and concentrate on your longer-term goals.

A different kind of timeboxing

If you're someone who easily loses track of the "flow" of your work, you might want to explore the Pomodoro technique:

1. Choose the task you wish to do
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes (you are able to set your own timer)
3. Focus on your task
4. The timer will end when it starts to ring and take a quick 5 minute break
5. Repeat two more times
6. Have a longer, 20-minute break
7. Do this throughout the working day.

When you have breaks, take a step away from the desk, hydrate, and see your other needs in the biological world.

That way, you'll lessen the possibility of becoming exhausted after an intense task You'll be better mentally and physically for the other tasks on your agenda.

9. Bust the Multitasking Myth

Another way to help you stay focused is to recognize the fact that multitasking is not a practice! Numerous studies have proven that you can't focus on multiple different tasks simultaneously.

Instead, all you're doing is changing your focus quickly across tasks. And people who do that increase their stress levels and make more mistakes, and are less productive than those who focus on one thing at a at a time.

What does that mean for managing time and work for freelancers?

• Focus on only one project at a time.
• Focus on one task at a time.
• Make sure to keep your cellphone at a safe distance during your work
• Reserve some time to answer emails and messages

10. Keep Track of Your Time

As a freelancer The last thing you want to deal with is additional admin. But we promise this one's worth it.

Even if you charge for your project on a per-project basis (as as opposed to per-hour) track your time!

This will help you really understand how long you devote to each project, which will make it much easier to predict the future tasks.

Toggl Trackis a great time-tracking tool that can be used to do exactly this. Its free version lets you quickly track the time that processes take, and pinpoint opportunities for improvement.

11. Make use of flexible plugins to help with Scope Creep

Here's a time management tip for developers out there.

It is well-known that the issue of scope creep is just part of the gig for freelancers. This is why it's important to cut down on time and avoid being bogged down in endless customizations according to the needs of your clients.

If you choose to do this  your preferred method, you'll not only cut down on time, but you'll also simplify the entire process for both you and your customers.

Take advantage of the ability to adapt and keep scope creep from happening!

On the flip side...

In case you didn't know that our website (.com) isn't solely a product-related storefront.

We also use it as a platform to use to manage the memberships of our creators that purchase our product from our online storefront (whew! ).

This is due to the fact that it's a fantastic customer management platform, and consequently, a time management platform as well. We'll get to that in the near future...

12. Make Time with Plugins that Do the Heavy Lifting

It happens. Sometimes it's just a matter of time. But fret not! When you need to, you can lean on plugins to perform the heavy lifting for you, and provide professional results in mere moments.

By choosing tools that help you develop your software, you can maintain the quality of your work without losing productivity.

Learn how to auto-style your pages within a minute

Utilize these time-saving devices that allow you to see the big picture while still delivering top-notch outcomes for your customers.

BONUS TIP 13. Save Time on Client Handover

When you think that you've wrapped your project and done, remember...client handover. The process is time-consuming and frustrating if you can't efficiently and quickly communicate CMS functionalities to your clients.

To make this process as simple as you can, choose plugins with excellent information.

Documentation is essential. It not only aids customers understand better their website and make it easier for users to manage it on their own. This saves you from spending countless hours on help and handover.

For example, at we offer a ton of videos and documents to help users navigate the installation procedure, features, and troubleshooting. It is easy for customers to run their sites.

The Takeaway

Here are our twelve (plus one extra bonus!) strategies to relieve stress that will help you save time and sanity.

This is a summary of our time management advice for freelancers:

1.   Get a thorough client report and ask questions regarding the project's the scope.  
2.   Broken down into bigger tasks.  
3.   Set yourself realistic deadlines.  
4.   Communicate with collaborators to receive deliverables on time.  
5.   The factor that causes the scope of creep.  
6.   The first step is the hardest task.  
7.   Keep less demanding jobs for the times you truly need the resources.  
8.   Timebox your tasks.  
9.   Stop multitasking and keep your eyes solely on a single thing at one moment.  
10.   Track your time.  
11.   Use flexible plugins.  
12.   Do you have a short time? Look for plugins that are able to take on the heavy lifting.

When you implement these strategies for managing your time into practice, you'll boost your productivity as well as improve relations with your customers. This will ultimately make your freelance experience much more fun.

Give them a test! Mix and match these tips for a unique time management strategy that fits the way you work.

Get Now!

You want to create a website that allows membership for your clients? Select the best WordPress membership plugin.

Got any time management tips that can help freelancers within our network? Send them to us. In the comment section below.