How to stay productive as a freelancer?
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe, washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing in your elbow, and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
In many conversations with fellow web designers, we tend to discuss how to stay productive. Sometimes we do not have a project to work on. Nothing in our pipeline. No meeting with prospective clients. How do you stay productive during these times. Establish Structure. Keep Energy Level up. Rest and Reward. Make sure your work space is comfortable. Use helpful tools.
Let discuss some ways to stay productive.
Establish Structure
Establish structure. Whether busy as a bee, or looking for work. My structure does not change. Every Monday, a list of task is established. A time line of what is needed to be successful is created. Having Monthly, Weekly and Daily tasks help to establish structure.
Divide your work day into three section. One to complete client’s task (that typically occurs in the morning for me). Another to look for opportunities and to add to my pipeline, usually mid day for me. Lastly looking for ways to improve my skill level, this tends to be toward the end of my day.
Keep Energy Levels Up
A strong believer of keeping mind and body in shape. Having a healthy live style is important. Make sure you keep your body and mind in great shape. Read about ways to keep your mind sharp. Get out of your office. Do a favorite hobby. Make sure that the hobby does not interfere with being productive.
Go to the gym and work out. Figure out if working out in the morning or afternoon works best. Take a walk while listening to your favorite genre of music. Find some ways to just get work out of your mind and ways to re-energize yourself.
Rest and Reward
Recently I discussed finding my groove. Getting proper rest is critical being productive. No a fan of working all day. You need to get some rest. The body works better with rest. While not one to say 8 hours of sleep or 4 hours, you should know how much sleep your body needs. Typically I do not sleep 8 hours a night, but naps are always a good way to supplement your lack of sleep.
Reward. Having built in rewards is super important. Rewards are not always monetary. Reward yourself for clearing task for the week…maybe take a couple hours off to doe a favorite activity. Working at my favorite watering hole (coffee shop) is a fun reward for putting in the extra work. Going to my local driving range, and hitting a few irons is another reward. Taking some time to listen to my favorite podcast during the day, is another reward. You need to reward yourself for small incentives as well as large ones.
Conclusion
In conclusion, create a task program for yourself. If you are solving your task, then provide a reward for yourself. Make sure you are getting proper rest. Reward yourself for all you do. Make sure you keep your energy levels are up. Take advantage of technology. Use Slack, Asana, and other marketing tools.
Image courtesy of Norbert Levajsics.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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