Freelance freedom: How to put together an effective work schedule

If they had the choice to do so, most people would prefer to make their own schedules. Not only does this allow you to work when you're most productive, but you can also allocate time toward other obligations like friends, family, etc.

This is one of the primary reasons why people choose to become freelancers in the first place. But developing a work schedule isn’t as easy as it seems.

Fortunately, we've got all the information that you should know. Let’s get started.

Figure out when you are most productive

Not everybody is suited to follow the same type of schedule.

Some people tend to work best first thing in the morning. Others are most productive late at night when everyone else has gone to sleep. Regardless of when your productivity is the highest, you’ll need to determine what hours during the day are best suited for working.

Then, you can develop a schedule that accommodates this.

Don’t be afraid to get a bit creative when it comes to creating your work schedule. You might find that splitting your workday into multiple blocks over a 12-hour period allows you to get the most work done.

Moxie has a unique tool that allows freelancers to plan out all of their projects for a given period of time. For instance, you can plan a project for the week, month, and quarter within the software and then use it to help stay on track.

When utilized correctly, this will drastically help you improve your productivity. You can check out our project management software to learn more.

Set a time of day to get the bulk of your work done

Many freelancers make the mistake of choosing an eight-hour window and calling it their workday. Unfortunately, this often causes them to be less productive earlier during the day since they know they have so much time left.

More often than not, this will lead to you struggling to finish all of your work by your established deadline or working late.

Instead, you should set a particular time within this window in which you accomplish the most work. You can think of this time as a mental ‘sprint.’

For example, let’s assume that you want to work from 10 AM to 6 PM. You could aim to be as productive as possible from 10 AM to 1 PM before having lunch.

This will allow you to finish your workday at a comfortable pace since you already accomplished so much.

Maintain accountability

Since you have the freedom to decide everything about when you work, you’re also in charge of holding yourself accountable. This means that if you are not meeting certain goals, you’ll need to make the necessary changes.

For instance, you might have a week where you try working from a new location, such as a coffee shop. This change of scenery is exactly what some people need to focus.

For others, however, this can prove to be a substantial distraction. As long as you're constantly making improvements to your work schedule, you will eventually discover the ideal schedule for you.

Making the ideal work schedule can seem difficult

But, it’s not as hard as you might anticipate. Using the above information, you can ensure that you make the work schedule that is ideal for you and your lifestyle.

Whatever your schedule, track your time with Moxie to make sure you get paid for all the time you give to your clients.

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