Freelancers A to Z #010 Busting Some Myths Around Freelancing
Freelancers A to Z is a series of roundup posts with captivating curated blog posts, podcasts and articles.
My purpose is to give you as a freelancer a place where you can find support and help with productivity, motivation and time management issues. Here you will find simple yet powerful hacks to improve your productivity and boost your freelance business instantly.
Are you ready?
Isn’t working from home the dream of every person out there?
You can be a content writer, a graphic designer, a photographer, even a web designer. Freelancing provides you with the opportunity to hone your skills that you take pride in and make something out of it that wouldn’t only benefit you but your client as well.
The world is booming with its advancement in technology. We have numerous facilities that we can access in a matter of seconds. It would be a shame if we don’t make use of these features for their own benefit.
Now as much as sitting at home, nibbling on some snacks while working sounds fun and relaxing, it can be a lot of work to handle too. You need to be able to understand the essence of the work you have chosen to do before jumping on the bandwagon.
Doesn’t that sound interesting and easy?
And for the most part, it is but there are complications. You need to have prior guidance and understanding of your work before you take on a role.
Here, there are certain things that one needs to take into account before starting freelancing. We don’t want you to slack up, we want you to excel.
1
Why You Should Stop Procrastinating ASAP?
Ah! Procrastination! Does this not bring into mind the days of learning where one would shun all assignments just to sleep an hour more?
As great as that one hour of sleep was, one cannot forget the toppling amount of workload that followed.
As a freelancer, it is important you practice productivity in order to get the best results. How to prioritize your tasks, be active and prompt is vital for a person who is freelancing. The extra hour of sleep does sound great, no denying that. But we all know that procrastination always leads one to do last-minute tasks in a hurry.
However, we also want results that leave us grinning from ear to ear. If procrastination does hinder your ability to work and leaves you with numerous tasks at the end, this website enlists six easy ways to increase your productivity and say no to procrastination.
Set a schedule, take breaks, and make a plan. The website gives you ideas on how to get your work done and avoid sulking. Sleep can wait an hour or two but the task at hand can’t, can’t it?
2
Boost Your Productivity with Simple Tricks
Any task, be it freelancing or not, is prone to go bad if your’re not organised.
An unorganised work style will most probably end with a not so good remark from the client. Freelancing requires a lot of hard work and commitment to do, how can you ask with finesse if you aren’t organised with your time and strategy.
For one to achieve the result and productivity that he or she aims to find, it is important to be organised. The website gives any freelancer out there coherent tips and tricks in learning how to become organised by following simple steps.
Make a list of all those tasks that need to be finished and if your procrastination has won and now you have to do three assignments all at once. Well, didn’t I say that you need to organise your time?
Prioritize your tasks and make use of the electronic calendar that tells you when you have assignments due.
Set out reminders so that you are on track with your project.
Clear the clutter on your workspace so that you are able to see the post-it note that says ‘due at midnight’, or else you will forget the task and meet a very angry client.
Organise your workspace and time, and you will be successful in attempting your tasks.
3
How to Set Goals You Actually Will Achieve?
What a beautiful thing it is to relax in your PJs, not worry about the boss commenting on your attire when you work from home as a freelancer.
But, why are you doing this? What is your goal?
In freelancing, it is important that you have an end goal. As stated in the website it is important that you know what you want to achieve.
Is the goal realistic or not? How do you know that the goal is realistic and helpful? Yes, setting a goal sounds boring and takes up a lot of your time but it makes life as a freelancer easier too.
If you aim to start a task and have no goal in mind then you wouldn’t really want to do it with as much commitment, would you?
It is important that you set goals that are right, the ones that would benefit you and not superficial ones that would end with you achieving nothing. You can make sure that you follow the guidelines to achieve your goal by setting a reward at the end.
It depends on the person setting the goal. With each task do set a new goal or do you have one goal and try to incorporate that within your tasks?
At the end of the day, if you know why you want to do the task, you are good to go. Just make it realistic.
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4
How to Stay Positive and Deal with Rejection?
Freelancing sounds fun, doesn’t it? You meet a client, he gives you a task for a specific amount, and you do it. Right?
Well, yes. But when they reject the work you give them, it takes a toll on you.
You could sit in a pool of your tears and cry or you could find a way to deal with rejection from a client. If you don’t know how to handle or deal with rejection by a potential client of yours then this is the website you need to go to.
It is important you keep a positive demeanour. It says that remaining positive, assessing the situation, and learning from the mistakes is the best way to overcome rejection.
We won’t let one person’s dislike of your work determine the worth of your work ethic, no sire! In fact, take this as an opportunity to assess your situation.
You need to know where you went wrong. Was it the writing style? Did it not suit the content? If so, learn from them and try to make your writing style flexible.
We learn from our mistakes and we fail now and then, in matters of work, home, life in general. But we don’t give up that easily. We learn and make sure that the reason we were rejected does not arise. No need to berate yourself about it. You know you have the potential to do the task you are given.
5
Learn to Say No
In freelancing, we come across clients who demand work that may not be in your domain or work that you aren’t comfortable with.
You could say ‘oh yes, I can do the task’ and do a mediocre job on it. Or you could learn to say no.
I know it might sound rude but trust me, it is better to do a task that you are comfortable with than a task that you don’t even know much about. The website gives a thorough explanation on how and why it is important that you say no to a client, and that too politely.
Investing your time into doing a task that you actually enjoy would mean better results and a happy client. The client won’t mind if you politely decline, he or she would understand.
Offer alternatives to the client or conduct research and if you still think it isn’t the task for you then tell the client. As the website suggests, tell the client that you are saying no to their request and not to them.
If you can’t learn to say no, you’ll be swarmed with work that would affect your productivity.
6
All work and no play…
The last thing I would like to share with you is music. It has a special place in my life. For that reason I listen to music when I work. Hoverer, as some of you already know, it’s also because I want to cut off the noise caused by my neighbors.
This week a continuation from the previous Freelancers A to Z issue. It’s the second part of his album Long Ambients.
Last but not least: in the next issue your playlist can appear in this place. So leave in comments your favourite music that you love to listen when you work.
One last thing
In the comments below let me know what do you think about this issue of Freelancers A to Z. Tell me what do you like, what is not so good, what do you want more of. I need to know everything.
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The next issue will be available in two weeks.
Take care and have a nice time
Mariusz from the Time Continuum App