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Benefits of Time Management In Your Freelance Career
Handling online jobs and working from home has gained tremendous popularity over the years. The freelance lifestyle gives skilled professionals a lot of privileges, one of which is the freedom to enjoy and manage time effectively without the influence of a boss.
True, many freelancers hold regular jobs, but the most successful freelancers work full-time and earn more than their coworkers who work as full-time staff. 'Freedom" is a very simple term usually associated with freelance work. Freelancers are able to work from anywhere across the globe with a flexible work schedule.
On top of that, freelancers are open to a plethora of opportunities in freelance marketplaces like UpMyChain. They can choose to work for different clients and are free to take up as much jobs as they can deliver.
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Of course, working when and where you want is a dream come true with freelance work. The reality, however, reveals that the freelance lifestyle is not as rosy as everyone thinks. In fact, freelancers work more hours than they would in a regular job.
For freelance professionals, time is money! It takes a lot of discipline to be able to keep yourself productive while working from home. Also, disappointing clients when it comes to on-time delivery and having to always create repetitive excuses will surely reflect in your reviews and keep you away from future opportunities with better prospects.
How do you handle all that mantle of responsibility with the required discipline needed to keep your sanity in check and also keep you on top of your game? This is where time management comes in. As a freelancer, you are in charge of how you use your time. Being able to beat deadlines, meet client objectives and surpass expectations all boils down to time management.
If you're struggling with getting more work done, keeping your productivity in check or meeting deadlines, then maybe it's time to reevaluate and improve on your time management skills.
What Is Time Management?
Time management is the ability to plan and schedule the amount of time spent on tackling a particular work or task being done, and tracking the progress with respect to time in order to increase efficiency and improve productivity. Management involves careful planning and execution of plans. If you're struggling with meeting deadlines and achieving client objectives, kindly consider improving your time management skills.
Succeeding as a freelancer requires a lot of discipline, and time management is one great way to prove how professional you are in delivering quality work. We have put together some ideas to help you understand why you need to work on time management skills - especially if you are just starting out in your career as a freelancer.
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Learning how to manage your time effectively is one way to stay productive all day long. Here are five (5) benefits of time management in your freelance career.
1. Reduces Your Stress and Burnout Levels
Stress and burnout are very common results of poor time management. Being unable to focus your attention on a particular task and trying to do more than one thing at a time by multitasking will only reduce your productivity and increase the possibility of stress and burnout.
The result? Poor mental and physical health and an overall unprofessional impression. Learning good time management skills will help you stay focused, while also increasing your productivity and earning potential.
2. Keeps You Organized and Professional
A professional is expected to be a master of his/her art. Working as skilled freelance talent not only means you're a professional, it also says a lot about your personality. Turning in assignments late repeatedly and having a constant record of delay in meeting client's deadline gives the impression that you are disorganized and unprofessional.
Nothing beats a happy and satisfied employer who's ready to rehire you again after meeting all expectations required of you Clients are highly interested in freelancers who are available to deliver quality work on time, and also have a good character. Yes, this character can land you more gigs than you could ever imagine!
3. Increases Productivity and Efficiency
According to a research report by Vouchercloud an average worker stays productive for 2 hours and 23 minutes during an 8-hour workday. What happens to the remaining block of time left? Wasted! The survey provides valuable insight on how the amount of time an average worker puts in on a job affects his/her productivity.
This means that as a freelance worker, you may be wasting time on certain activities which you may not necessarily accept as a time killer. Checking email, looking up that new notification from your favorite social media app, remembering to call or text XYZ while on the job reduces your productivity and decreases the actual amount of time invested in a particular job.
While it may not have any significant effects in the short run, the after maths keep piling up in the long term. Having good time management skills will help you stay organized, provide a basis for scheduling blocks of time for activities according to priority and ensure that you focus on one task at a particular point in time, thereby increasing your overall productivity.
4. Gives You Full Control Of Your Time
Everyone loves freedom, and being able to manage your time effectively gives you full control of your time. As a freelancer, how you use your time matters a lot. How often do you forget to turn in your deliverables? When last did you not meet a deadline? Do you remember the last time your organized your files to reduce time spent when searching for stuff through the clutter you have on the table?
You need to learn how to plan your day and schedule blocks of time for work according to your priorities. Remember, nothing beats handling tasks in bits than in bulk! Taking full control of your time requires discipline. You need to be intentional about your career and personal growth to develop good time management skills which will help you stay organized in your freelance career and also keep you on top of your game.
There's no better way to carve out your name in the Freelance Hall of Fame than to manage your time well and plan your day even before it begins.
5. Says Alot About Your Personality
Our last idea for this article is about you as a person, not as a freelancer. Having exceptional time management skills not only gives an impression about your dedication to work, it also provides valuable insights about your personality.
Staying organized as a person shows that you are diligent and committed to your work. This sends a good impression about you to the client and provides a little detail about who you are as an individual. While this may not entirely affect your work, it plays a great role in the case of recommendation.
Clients recommend talents whom they trust, not just as a skilled talent who delivers quality work, but also as an individual whom they believe to have integrity and trustworthiness. These virtues are very priceless and are the basic ingredients of long term collaborations.
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