Breaking habits is not so easy. Social media platforms can be so addictive and so are some other practices. There are a few habits freelancers have that can be affecting their work in a negative way. Let’s look at some of them.
- You are easily distracted
You may be procrastinating a lot, or it could be that you are addicted to social media. Whatever it is that is distracting you is affecting your productivity negatively. You can apply these tips to increase your concentration.
- Swift off all notifications on your desktop, mobile, or tablet.
- If you can, delete all apps that are distracting you.
- Check your email twice daily
- Turn off your phone when you are busy
2. You are starting work late each day
Get up early every day and start working early enough. This helps you get more done in less time. We create our best work in the morning and our brains are more productive at that time of the day.
If you can be at your desk before the proper work starts then you may have more time to tackle the most demanding jobs without interruption. This makes you feel amazing and fulfilled already.
3. You are working 24/7
You have been working since morning but it’s dark and you are still working? You may ask yourself- am I not charging my clients enough? Which makes you feel compelled to take much work on?
You should create a spreadsheet of all your clients and the rates you charge each one. Check if there are any of your clients you could free up to create more time to work on the more lucrative client.
If all clients seem important, it’s time to consider increasing your rates. Though you need to consider the risks involved. But approaching each client one after the other may be a better move.
4. You’re failed to set boundaries
Setting boundaries would help you avoid taking on too much work that you can’t finish and may lead to burnout. As freelancers, many times we are petrified of losing business and that can make us neglect our work/life balance just to keep clients happy. Some of these rules can help:
- Establish your “office hours” with new clients during your initial meeting with them, on your website, or your social media channels. Try your best to stick with the time.
- Never answer business calls out of office hours, unless your client pays for 24/7 support.
- If you can’t resist checking and replying to emails on weekends then get the Boomerang extension for Gmail and write a reply to schedule on Monday.
5. You are doing work that makes you unhappy
Doing stuff that you aren’t passionate about is hurting your business more than you know. When you are proud of something, you are more likely to talk about it and it’s likely to attract bigger and better projects.
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