4 Steps for Staying Organized as a Freelancer

Do you ever feel like you have too many balls in the air at once? I most definitely do! I sometimes feel like I am drowning with way too many things to get done. Sometimes, I just don’t know if freelance work is really worth it to me or not!

Whenever I feel like this, I realize it is time to look at my plan for achieving all my goals. I also realize it is time to reassess my organizational skills or lack there of. I also take a good long look at my priorities and my work schedule.

The most attractive reasons for going into freelance work were the flexibility of hours, the possiblility of spending more time with my family and not needing to put my children into daycare. But I sometimes find that I get sidetracked with household chores or playing with the kiddos. I love the idea of being able to make my own schedule.

When I start reassessing my priorities, I look at my business plan and look to see if I am on task or not. If I am not on task, I readjust my business plan to get back on schedule with my goals. The great thing about business plans is that they aren’t set in stone, they are just a guide to keep you on track.
When I look at my work schedule, I take the time to write down everything I do in a day; keeping track of how long each item takes. This helps me to find the leaks and drains in my work schedule, allowing me to readjust my time management. I usually figure out that I am sleeping in later and later and that is wasting my valuable time.
Lastly, I look at my organization skills or lack there of! What this means is I look at my work space. This usually entails cleaning up my work area, going through my piles and filing everything away. I also look through my calendar and try to complete all my tasks.
After I have done all the things I need to do to get back on track, I set up reminders on my calendar to evaluate my progress or to re-evaluate my organizational skills, my business plan, my priorities and my work schedule.