Many times, when friends or family find out I have been working as a Freelance writer, the general consensus is that I have the greatest job ever, because I do not have to work scheduled hours and I can take off whenever I want. While working from home as a Freelance writer is, without a doubt, much more time friendly than a typical office position, there is still the need for time management skills. In fact, as it relates to freelance work, having a quality time-management procedure in place can essentially make or break your working career. With most typical freelance writers, you are most likely juggling several assignments on a daily basis from an assortment of clients. This can cause even the most skilled freelancer to feel they are drowning in work and are just spending each day frantically trying to keep up.
As a writer, how can you make sure all your tasks are completed in a timely fashion, and without missing the ever important deadline? There are several methods in which this can be accomplished, which only require very little forethought and planning.
One of the easiest ways in order to assist you in keeping your work straight is by simply writing it down. While this method may seem overly simplistic, writing your assignments down; just as you did in elementary school, can work extremely well in helping you to prioritize and organize your work. To accomplish this, all one needs to purchase is a standard assignment book, or daily planner. In a pinch, a simple spiral bound notebook would suffice.
At the start of each week, I have found it only takes a few minutes to sit down and prioritize my work for the upcoming week. While there are always the unexpected assignments which pop up, this method is still a surefire way to organize your existing work with set deadlines. I can then plan ahead and tackle the assignments which may be less time-consuming, versus just working on those assignments with the closest deadlines. By following this method of time-management skills, it allows me to complete assignments days before the anticipated deadline date, and also allows for the occasional emergency which pops up.
Another tip I have learned as it relates to time-management skills is to plan on working during the same time, each and every day. Before becoming a Freelance writer, I worked in a law office during the same hours each day – 8:30 to 4:30 pm. So, while I generally do not work those extended hours in my home office, I make the conscious effort to be available at my desk, with all distractions removed, between the hours of 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. This structure allows me to focus on exactly what work needs to be completed that day, and allows me to complete it by the end of the day and feel accomplished.
One last time management tip I have found which works for me personally is having a notebook right next to me on my desk. This serves as a back up schedule of sorts for the week. In this notebook, I write each assignment, each client, the due date, keywords I have to work with, and any other pertinent information relating to the assignments. This allows for a quick reference guide as to exactly what is due when, and also keeps everything in one easy to get to spot. I find it helpful at the completion of each assignment to place a simple check mark next to each assignment, to allow me to see what is still outstanding.
Every Freelance writer has their own methods for keeping track of their assignments, and have true-and-tested methods. The important thing to remember is that if work does not get scheduled on your calendar, it is hard to remember to complete it. By the utilization of calendars, writing notes, and scheduling your work to be completed on your own, you are helping keep a leg up on the competition by ensuring your work is not only on time, every time, but also is early and without any reminders to have it completed.
Author: Michelle A. Winter
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