4 Managing your time effectively

If you work for an employer organisation, the systems, and overall structure that you need to do your job, will already be in place. They may not be perfect, but at least they’re there! When you go freelance, on the other hand, how you work, when you work, and for how long is completely up to you. No one else is going to create a framework for your working day, or set up the relevant systems that underpin your projects.

Deciding how to work is a bigger challenge than it may sound, particularly if you’ve spent most of your career so far working in a traditional office environment. And unfortunately, you won’t be able to escape dull or repetitive work completely—you’ll need to do all the admin tasks that’ll keep your business afloat, so it’s essential that you budget in some time to deal with them.

That said, there’s plenty you can do to make your freelance life just as effective as when you were working for a company. You need to analyse your working patterns and prioritise all aspects of your work, so that you get the job done but still have some time for yourself. This chapter will give you useful tips on how to do this. The underlying factor is that you’ll need to bring some discipline to your day-to-day working life!

Step one: Reflect on how you work best

We all have a tendency to put most effort into jobs that we really enjoy, hoping that the less attractive tasks will somehow magically fit in around them. To get a real handle on how you’re managing your time, create a ‘task diary’ and make a note of the tasks you’re doing and the amount of time you spend on them. Look carefully at the ‘shape’ of your day and look objectively at what you’re doing. In what ways could you be working more effectively? Can you see what you’re neglecting and what you’re spending too much time on for little return? Are you focusing on the most profitable parts of your business? Once you’ve spotted some trends, make a commitment to adjust your working pattern for the better.

Step two: Plan your day

One easy but powerful way to do take control of time management is to create a to-do list that covers all your main bases. Some people prefer to do this as they shut up shop for the day, others as soon as they start work in the morning: it doesn’t matter when you create your list, as long as you stick to it.

Once you’ve got a list of what you need to do each day, it’ll help you focus on the job in hand and finish what you start. This is especially true if you’re prone to being distracted by interruptions. Your to-do list is a key part of good time management, but you need to combine it with some other techniques so that you can manage interruptions better. For example, rather than have your e-mail inbox open constantly, why not set aside specific times of the day to check it? That will mean that you’re not tempted to drop everything whenever an important-looking message pops up.

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Don’t forget to plan for time away from your desk—everyone needs to take a break every now and again, to recharge their batteries and top up energy levels. In fact, your clients will benefit from it, as the quality of your work will remain high. So make sure you take time out to enjoy your favourite past-times, whatever they are.

Step three: Put some boundaries in place

If you’re in a busy patch and have plenty of work coming in, it’s very easy to get so bound up with your work that you forget you have a personal life. Mobile phones and easy e-mail access can mean that you’re constantly connected to the world of work, and some people find it hard to draw a line at the end of the day. It’s important that you keep some sense of perspective, however, and remember that your family and friends are a key part of your life, too. Your health will also suffer, if you don’t take regular breaks.

Set up some parameters around your working day and talk to your partner and family, so that they know you’re as interested in them as you are in your job. However, if you find that you’re disturbed by family members dropping in to pass the time of day, politely but firmly remind them that you’re working (even though you’re at home!) and that you’ll see them later for lunch, a cup of tea, or whatever. If your phone is the major culprit for regular interruptions, don’t be afraid to turn it on to voicemail until you’ve finished whichever planned task you’re working on.

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Don’t be tempted to put off unappealing work tasks by suddenly finding that you need to mow the lawn, clean behind the fridge, or paint the garden fence. All of these jobs will waste a few hours, for sure, but you’ll still have to do your invoicing when you’ve finished them!

Step four: Be realistic about what you can achieve

Although your business will stand or fall depending on the effort you put in, don’t aim for goals that are just unrealistic and which you know, deep down, you won’t be able to reach. It would be great to answer all e-mails within three hours of receipt, invoice clients every week, and attend four networking breakfasts a month, but you know your schedule and you know your foibles. It’s good to ‘stretch’ yourself, of course, but don’t go to extremes.

Similarly, even though you may think that you can handle every aspect of your freelance business personally, there are some jobs that a professional will always be able to do more easily and more professionally. Employing an accountant to help you tackle your tax and other financial obligations will be a wise investment: rather than plough hours into learning the accounting ropes (and running the risk of not doing it properly), ask a professional to help instead and invest that time more wisely in looking for new work.

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Freelance life often takes on a ‘feast or famine’ shape, so remember to think beyond your current job, however lucrative it is. What are you going to be working on next? If you’re not sure, why not ask your client for a referral? A personal recommendation can be worth its weight in gold. As the project starts to wind down, you’ll have more time to start putting out feelers and to amp up your networking.

Common mistakes

You indulge yourself

One of the most appealing aspects of working for yourself is the thought that you can concentrate on what you enjoy most. That’s true, but you need to work at balancing all aspects of freelancing life so that the issues that don’t interest you as much—but which are still vital, such as invoicing or networking—don’t fall by the wayside.

You don’t keep your skills up to date

Refreshing your existing skills and gaining new ones is a valuable activity for all freelancers, however busy they may be. Whether you attend a course or seek the support of a trainer or coach, see it as a good use of your time and a great way to keep up to date with industry trends and to meet new contacts.

You don’t keep on top of the paperwork

Even if you’re absolutely hectic, it’s essential that you keep on top of your accounts. The sooner you invoice, the sooner you’ll get paid: it’s as simple as that. Keep a record any expenditure you incur while you’re working on a project, and make sure you keep receipts in a safe place (this doesn’t mean the glove compartment of your car!) so that you can retrieve them when you send off your invoice. See chapter 5 for more advice.

You don’t try anything new

Many people go freelance because they have great skills in one particular area, and they’re keen to exploit their talent as much as possible. That’s great, but you may find yourself doing the same type of work for the rest of your working life. Make an efforts to look for new opportunities in related fields so that you can more skills and tap into new networks. You may find that it opens up a whole host of new opportunities.

You have no discipline

It’s never appealing to slog away at an uninspiring task, but when you work for yourself, you’ll have to do this time and again. There is a positive side, though: if you keep plugging away at all the admin tasks or any other activities you’d prefer not to do, at least they won’t build up, so you’ll be working effectively. It’s a good idea to give yourself a reward when you finish these tasks to help keep up your good intentions!

STEPS TO SUCCESS

Make a to-do list at the beginning of each day—or at the end of the previous day, if you prefer—so that you can focus on what you need to get done and ignore any distractions.

Don’t forget to make time for yourself outside your working environment. And don’t let work take over your life—otherwise you’ll risk becoming a stranger to your friends and family.

Be sensible about how much you can achieve during a normal working week. If you take on too much, the quality of your work is likely to suffer and you’ll find yourself unable to meet deadlines.

Don’t forget to submit your invoices on time, together with any relevant expenses, and keep on top of your paperwork. If your filing and accounts are in order, you’ll find it much easier to stay in control.