Most freelancers quickly find that it's much harder than they anticipated to manage all of their ongoing projects. Unfortunately, this can easily lead to working 12-hour days on a consistent basis.
In some cases, you may even feel more trapped than you did when you had a typical 9 to 5. The good news, though, is that workload management is not nearly as difficult as it might seem.
Let's take a look at three ways you can help streamline this process.
One of the most effective ways to hold yourself accountable when it comes to project management is to use a specialized tool to help you do so. Although there are plenty available online, you should choose one that serves as a centralized location for your ongoing projects.
You should also be able to easily view certain metrics, such as upcoming deadlines, the progress you've made, and project details.
When implemented correctly, this will easily become one of your most powerful assets as a freelancer. In many cases, you'll find that your productivity skyrockets, which can allow you to take on even more projects.
Moxie offers a tool that allows freelancers to seamlessly divide large projects into smaller segments. You'll have a clear view of each segment's deadline, and this tool will even provide you with a set of suggested actions to take.
It can be tempting to take upon as much work as possible, as many freelancers have a fear that they won't be able to acquire work in the immediate future due to some unforeseen circumstance. The end result is these individuals accepting far more projects than they can feasibly handle.
It might be difficult during the early stages of your career to have a good idea of what you're capable of. As time goes on, though, you'll develop a strong understanding of what type of projects you can handle within certain time frames. For example, an amateur freelance videographer will quickly learn that they aren't able to shoot and edit five videos in a week.
Creating a to-do list is a simple but highly effective way that you can help manage your own projects. Many freelancers take advantage of calendaring software, as it allows them to easily keep track of necessary tasks.
The software can also be configured to alert users about certain occurrences, such as an upcoming deadline, a certain type of project, etc. Creating a list of your responsibilities also helps keep track of the progress that you're making.
This is particularly essential for bigger projects. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed after you've put in hours of work but don't have a visual representation of how far you've progressed.
Moxie's time management tool allows you to accurately measure how much time you spend working on freelance projects. Not only will this help you stay focused on your tasks, but it will also help you determine your billable hours.
As you complete additional projects, you'll begin to optimize how you spend your time and drastically increase your productivity.
So, you'll need to prioritize it as soon as possible. Afterward, you can leverage all of the benefits that proper workload management provides and catapult your career to new heights.
Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.
