How To Manage Your Time When You Work As A Freelancer

Freelancer on a tight deadline, time tracking, software use

The freelancing career in opposite to many expectations is highly demanding. As a freelancer at one point you will have to work on multiple projects, possibly even for the most hours of your day. However, maintaining professionalism when you work from home is not an easy task.

“Oh, no! The Deadline!”

On of the features of freelancing is the self-discipline. If you expect to actually have a career and future in the freelancing market, you have to treat your tasks with the appropriate attention. Therefore, procrastinating is never an option. Forget chatting, facebook, twitter and such, while you work, because they brake your concentration and ruin your performance. Unless your field of work is exactly this. One of the ways to ease yourself is to actually have working hours. Creating a schedule of your day and setting a certain time window as your working hours will greatly influence your performance and will help you balance freelancing and personal life.

Why? Because one of the traps for freelancers is the “Oh, whatever, I will do it later, I have time.” and afterwards it is “Sorry, I can go out with you guys, I really have to finish this project.” With such behavior, you expose your career and your free time on risk. If you manage to actually establish a plan of action for your freelance projects, built it around your most productive time, and maintain it, you will for sure find it much more convenient than scattering your work and chasing deadlines. Taking too much assignments is the other most common trap a freelancer falls for. Do not think of the earnings from multiple projects, take only those you can finish on time. The moment you procrastinate a task, or take too much work, your actions will come back at you and bite you.

“I have time, right!?”

The truth about time is, it is never enough if you do not know with certainty how much time a particular project will take. For the just starting freelancer it is harder to understand the complexity and time requirements of a task, and sometimes even for those who have a vast experience time becomes an issue. Time tracking software does not exist only for the convenience of the clients and for the accounting. Although it is its primary use and it’s the evidence you have worked hard for your payment, there is still some great opportunities time tracking can give you. Time is your biggest asset, but also what makes you vulnerable.

With the usage of time tracking software you can monitor your own performance and see for real how much time does it time for you to finish an assignment. The information you can extract about your performance and productivity when using a time tracking software is incredibly useful. How? You can set more accurate rates for the work you do. You will be able to nail a nearly perfect schedule for your work hours. You will be able to calculate your time so that you never miss a deadline. Time tracking helps you develop your time management skills.

“What now, UpWork??”

And now that the freelancing market is experiencing an in-depth change as a result of the UpWork fee increase, every freelancer have to bring the A-game. The migration of employers from the freelance giant UpWork to other websites and time tracking platforms like SCREENish is already happening. UpWork freelancers had already understood the value of time tracking and keeping your time, and the value of their labor. It is not a secret that many already prefer to continue working with their loyal clients outside any freelancing platform and choose a time tracking one instead, tired of paying fees.

Nonetheless, without any matter what decision should a freelancer choose, time management is among the top skills every self-employed or not talent should possess. Freelancing is not a regular job, it is you proving yourself constantly before those who entrust their projects to you.