Sounds trivial doesn’t it, the idea of thinking about your clothing when you freelance from the comfort of your own home? But you’d be surprised how many freelancers put on a suit and jacket to head to their home office. I’m afraid I’m one of them. I draw the line at a tie, but putting on that shirt and jacket is just one of the tricks I use to keep myself and my brain in line to make sure that I’m in work mode for the day.
Experienced contractors and freelancers all have tricks of the trade to maintain their freelance work discipline. For me, after I’ve walked the dog and fed the baby I’ve learned that before I head over to my office at the end of the garden I need to put on a shirt and jacket. It sounds stupid, but when I first got started I used to get easily distracted and was far too laid back in my approach to finding work. As a consequence I wasn’t actively chasing down as many contracts as I should have been. Instead I would sit in my shorts and watch the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica, in between the odd writing assignment here and there. Then one day a seasoned freelancing pro recommended that I stop wasting my time and start running my business properly – and his first recommendation was that shirt and suit. I scoffed and thought to myself that my brain was far too smart to fall for that. Turns out it wasn’t. It really works.
There are other things too which really work. I was always one for thinking a pen and paper was all that I needed to organize my day. Now I’ve turned into a complete personal organization geek. There are all kinds of systems you can opt for out there; my personal favourite is the book by Paul Allen, ‘Getting Things Done.’ His Getting Things Done system breaks every project that needs completing into tiny five or ten minute actionable tasks and provides you with a ready-made workflow system. Again, it sounds so obvious but until you’ve got a system like this in place you won’t appreciate what a difference it makes. I was in geek heaven when I discovered all of the ‘Getting Things Done’ software – everything from Outlook add-ons to e-productivity for IBM Lotus Notes to Omni-focus for Mac. There are even whole websites dedicated to how to get the most from his system – I hesitate to call their zeal religious, but some people are pretty fanatical about the whole Getting Things Done way of life! His system is the most well known but there are hundreds of others on the market to choose from. Many people still prefer the old fashioned Filofax. The point is that if you’re anything like me, as a freelancer you’ll need to find ways to trick your brain that it’s time to go to work and then you’ll need to organize that work as effectively as possible.
Once you’ve found a workflow system that works for you, the most important thing to do is to set it up in such a way as to ensure that you get the most urgent jobs on to your desktop when you turn on the computer / open up the Filofax in the morning. Most people work best in the morning so make sure you do your most important work at the time when you’re operating at the top of your game. Remember that as a freelancer you can’t hand in half-assed work – your reputation depends on the quality of anything you put your name to.
One final tip – use the old carrot and stick motivational technique. Perhaps you’ve seen a new ipad that you absolutely must have but absolutely don’t need? That’s your reward for finishing two contracts, or finding two new clients. You’re your own boss, so make sure you’re a good boss who rewards success!
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