With no one looking over your shoulder and with the freedom to work at your own pace, it can be difficult to maintain productivity as a freelancer. While some people thrive over having a free schedule, others can find it hard to be motivated and complete their work on time. This is normal for many people and can be an easy hurdle to overcome. The trick is to understand which steps you can put in place in order to increase your productivity. Read on now in order to learn all about it.
Rent a Co-Working Space
Just because you work for yourself doesn’t mean that you need to work at home. In fact, it is easy and simple to rent an office or a desk at a co-working space that you can go to each day. Not only do they provide good internet, ventilation, and even free drinks, you will also be in an environment surrounded by people with like-minded aims, increasing the possibility for collaboration and helping you to reach your goals. Thankfully for you, Meanwhile Creative offer office space with lots of room in Cardiff in order to help you to instantly boost your productivity. While this will cost you some money, this will be more than recouped by the increased productivity that will arise as a result.
Be Easy On Yourself
Most freelancers are paid per item completed or the number of hours that they work. That means that it can make sense to work as much as possible in order to make as much as money as possible. While this can seem like a good idea on the face of it ,you are actually increasing the possibility of burnout, a phenomenon many people are facing these days. Burnout can be particularly dangerous because it can later leave you feeling unmotivated and can actually lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. That’s why you need to build rest into each week and each day in order to make sure that you are in the right mood before you are actually working.
Have a Clear Schedule
Freelancers are often fighting a variety of competing interests every single day, which can lead to them feeling overwhelmed. With so much going on, it can be easy to lose track of what you should actually be working on and when, leading to unsuccessful working days. That’s why, before you start working on any particular day, it is a great idea to make sure that you create a schedule to allow you to understand what you should be doing with any given hour. By having a clear schedule, you will be surprised by how much more productive you can become.
Learn to Say No
While many freelancers might believe that working more equals being more productive, in fact you should be focusing more on the quality of your work instead of its quantity. This involves being able to say no to certain projects. The way to get into a position to say no is to charge more for goods and services, leading to being paid more for less work. Take courses on negotiation in order to be able to get yourself into these types of positions.
Remove Distractions
If you are working from home, like so many people currently are as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, you might find yourself constantly getting distracted, whether it’s messages on social media, your partner asking you to clean up, or the whining of your pet or children. That’s why it is important to try and remove these distractions as best as you can. Make sure that you turn all devices that aren’t work-related off, and to tell those around you not to disturb you when you are in working mode. This way you can be sure to get your work done in a calm and collected manner.
Conclusion
All in all, maintaining productivity is all about mixing both psychological and practical considerations, both of which can be considered to be as important as the other. Not only is it important to have a positive attitude and an uncluttered mind, but it’s also important to put in clear boundaries to allow yourself to tackle your work coolly, collectedly and doggedly once you are sat down at your desk. If you find yourself lacking in motivation any time in the future, then remember to revisit this guide in order to remind yourself of the best motivational tips around.
