5 Tips for Freelancers to be More Organized

5 Tips for Freelancers to be More Organized

Juggling all of the responsibilities of being a freelancer is no easy feat. From doing the job you love, to keeping track of appointments and accounting. With so many things to keep track of while freelancing, it can get overwhelming sometimes. 

One of the marks of a successful freelancer is figuring out how to keep everything organized. Here are five tips for freelancers to be more organized. 

1.Stick to a Schedule 

One  of the hardest transitions you can make as a freelancer is going from a steady 9-5 to no routine. Without having a proper schedule, it can be easy to fall prey to procrastination. Whether it’s because you’re working at home and get distracted, or you don't have to be at the office at a certain time, it can be easy to lose time throughout the day. 

Freelancers already have the drive to work on their own. So it’s crucial to create a steady schedule to stick to to be more organized as a freelancer. Your day-to-day schedule will probably be much more flexible and fluid than a standard job. But sticking to a set work schedule will help you keep all of your work organized within that time frame. 

2. Keep It All Together 

Freelancers tend to be creative people. It might be easier for you to jot something down on a sticky note when you think of it. But where is that sticky note later when you really need it? 

To stay organized as a freelancer, try to keep everything you need in one place. A great way to do this is to try project management software. 

There are plenty of different tools out there that you can use to keep track of your schedule, projects, timelines, and notes from clients. This way, you can log onto one thing and see everything you need to do. It’s also not a bad idea to have a physical notebook to jot things down when you’re away from your computer. 

3. Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew 

When you first start out as a freelancer, it may be hard to say no to any project that comes through your email. As you start to juggle more and more projects it can be impossible to stay on top of everything. 

This is why you should only take projects when you know you can complete them in a timely manner. It’s okay to say no to projects that you aren’t passionate about or don’t have time to complete. The more you can be realistic with yourself about how much work you can do, the more organized you will be. 

4. Plan Out Your Goals 

Working as a freelancer, you may have many goals for your business. Instead of getting overwhelmed with trying to hit milestones all of the time, sit down and actually plan out your goals. 

Where do you see your business in a year? In six months? In three months? 

From there you can make actionable plans to get to where you want to be in those time frames. It’s better to see what you are working towards than just pulling goals out of thin air. 

5. Take Time for Yourself 

When you create your own business, it can be easy to keep working all day, every day. You never have a hard deadline of when you need to stop working. But falling into this pattern every day can lead to burnout very quickly. 

One of the benefits of working freelance is having the freedom to take time for yourself when you need it. Taking time for yourself also means making sure you go to important appointments. 

You can’t run a business if you aren’t taking care of your health and well-being. Luckily as a freelancer, you can find affordable benefits from a company like Gigly that fits your lifestyle. When you make sure to invest in your health, you and your business will thrive. 

Conclusion

It can be a challenge to stay organized when you run your own business. But with these five tips, it should be a little easier to keep everything together. Being a freelancer is an incredible lifestyle choice and once you keep your business organized, you can continue to grow and thrive.