As a freelancer, you’re completely responsible for managing your own workload. If you’re susceptible to putting stuff off, this can hinder your productivity and make getting motivated more difficult.
But sometimes procrastination can be a good thing and actually work in your favour. Here’s how…
Ploughing through your to-do list
Putting off that one task could free up the time you need to get through all the other stuff on your to-do list. This is called active procrastination.
Although it’s easy to have all the day’s jobs circling around in your mind, having a written list of all your tasks can be a key motivational tool, as the process of ticking stuff off gives a feeling of achievement, and is often just the motivation you need to eventually tackle the job you’re dreading.
Working to deadline
If you’re an active procrastinator, you’re more likely to prefer being put under pressure – you may even work better this way.
Working to a deadline is a great motivator for some people, and providing you’re able to organise your deadlines and you’re not compromising on the quality of your work, there’s no need to be concerned about postponing tasks until the last minute.
To keep track of when things are due, make sure you put all your deadlines in your online calendar and work diary.
Thinking time
Big projects can be daunting, and it’s not surprising you’d want to leave them on the back burner as you gear yourself up to take them on.
Not rushing in can mean just the time you need to creatively simmer, organise your thoughts and decide your approach.
Give yourself time to think, plan, and come up with some alternatives, so that you’re absolutely certain your decision or approach is the right one.
Better decisions
If you’re putting off making a decision, this probably means you’re unsure.
Giving yourself some time to properly think things through before committing is just your rational mind and intuition enabling you to make the right choice.
Eliminate unnecessary tasks
If you postpone getting around to the same task over and over, then there’s a likelihood it may not be important to get it done at all.
Ask yourself whether it really needs to be on your list of things to do. In the time you’ve been putting it off, has it become irrelevant?
Highlight your passions
When you prioritise certain tasks over others, this helps to emphasise which activities and jobs you prefer. Maybe these areas are the ones you should be pitching harder as a freelancer?
There are many studies that show job satisfaction is directly linked to increased productivity, so prioritising the things you enjoy could actually result in getting more out of your working week.
Emphasise training needs
You’re probably more likely to prefer tackling the jobs you’re good at. How you organise your tasks on your to-do list is probably a good indication of your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re putting off one element of your work, maybe it’s because you need some extra training in that area.
Take a course or brush up your skills using YouTube tutorials or free online courses via Alison.com. It can also help access online forums for your industry to access tips and shortcuts.
Still struggling to juggle your daily tasks? Why not try our telephone answering service?
Posted by The Secret Businessman