Becoming a more productive freelancer is what every freelancer is looking for. Someone told me there is no secret to becoming a more productive freelancer; all you have to do is get off your a** and work. Well, I say no! Because there are times however much you get to work, things just can't flow. And when you reach that dead end, you need plan B in order to do more work.
Below I have five little known ways to become a more productive freelancer
1. Take a nap
It is good to take a nap at work when you feel things are not going on well. One of the things I like about freelancing is the freedom. I can afford to take a nap in the middle of the day. This doesn't mean you should get under the sheets or get covered up. You should also keep it less than 45 minutes. More than 45 minutes will get you disoriented for at least 30 minutes when you wake up. So, it is important you keep it short.
2. Prepare early enough
Preparations do help with your productivity levels. The best way to prepare for what you are going to do is to have them listed down a day before. Preferably the last thing before you go to bed. Once you have listed them down, you can categorize or prioritize them by time needed to accomplish each task or what needs more attention. That way, you can work on the more demanding when you are fresh in the morning then drift with others later.
3. Physical exercise
When you feel you're getting less productive, get physical. You can take a walk, do push-ups or even ride a bike. That will definitely help wake you up, and make your blood flow faster. Believe me when you perform physical exercises, you will feel more focused.
4. Create deadlines
Most freelance projects will usually have a deadline but if you are working on an open project, then you need to set deadlines for yourself. I don't only set deadlines for my client's projects but also my personal projects. Even if I don't have to answer to anyone, I still get the feeling of being unproductive in case I fail to meet the deadline. That way, I'm aware that something didn't go as planned and I should do something about it.
5. Do one thing at a time
We often see job postings with a line like; “Applicant must be good at multitasking”. We have been made to believe that one must learn to multitask in order to make it at work. Well, I think that is BS. The best way to be more productive is actually to do one task at a time.
The benefit of doing one task at a time is you get less distracted allowing you to accomplish more. In a previous post about managing writer's block; I talked about working on more than one project at a time. That may directly affect your productivity negatively; but indirectly, it boosts your productivity, because you will break the writer's block and get something on paper.
The idea is once you break that block, and things start flowing, focus on that one thing.
These tips really helped me to become a more productive freelancer. What about you? Please add what works for you in the comments area below. I hope this post helps you to become a more productive freelancer to do more work and make more money.
