When I started out as a freelancer, there were some romantic views about working on my own that needed to be jettisoned. Becoming a freelancer was the easy part: quit my job, set my target, chuck my suits, invest in cool sneakers and a flashy laptop, and get drunk with friends while coming up with an SEO-friendly company name.
But what no one told me was how to be a freelancer.
After marking my shiny new whiteboard with to-do lists all tightly aimed at my target (world dominance stat), I soon found myself running around in circles like a headless chicken. This was true even after an extremely productive day when I launched a new website and established a fruitful business connection.
Lying on my couch, beer in hand, it seemed completely invalid, as there was no one else who knew about this magic—just my new sneakers and laptop as silent witnesses. No cash flow, no boss slapping me on the shoulder, no sneering colleagues wishing they’d nailed it like me. Yes, those same colleagues and bosses who made me run for the solo career hills to begin with.
That’s when it slowly dawned on me. From that point forward, it was just going to be me: project manager, secretary, and coffee machine all in one. A one-stop shop for credit, crap, and pep talk. I was deciding the speed and direction. I was deciding everything. And this freedom paralyzed me.
It makes you wonder: how do you keep going with just you in the room? These simple tools helped me glide along a little smoother.
Establish a routine
One thing that helps is setting up a fixed schedule. First, make a list of all your activities and an estimated time frame. Then plant those into a weekly schedule using your computer calendar. The simplicity of following a few colored boxes on a screen at first struck me as unusual, but it works.
Monday morning, for example, is reserved for administration. So I turn on the Radio1 Breakfast show, make myself a good brew, and go. Any mail that comes in throughout the week I simply dump into a drawer, knowing I will deal with it on Admin Monday. And so the week kicks off.
Tuesday is allotted for networking in the morning, and errands are done on Wednesday morning. Thursday morning is meant for museums or other culturally inclined events. My house has never been this tidy, as I now do all my cleaning on Friday morning. This one is important, as cleaning is my number one alibi for procrastination.
Fill in all the blanks and you have my week in iCal. If I have a paid job, the activities of that day simply move up a week, or get done in the evening, or over the weekend. My friends make fun of my rigid routine, but others have shamefully copied it.
Acknowledge your work
Another powerful tool I invented is my work diary. Not the glitzy pink “Dear Diary” kind. No, I’m talking about a firm black notebook in which at the end of every day you write the word “done.”
- Called Dave about my website errors—done.
- Arranged a date to meet with the CEO of company—done.
- Had coffee with Jules and got advice about printers—done.
- Adjusted my resume after comments from Jane—done.
Add anything trivial that moves you forward. The work diary gives much-needed weight to your activities, and when you read it back after a few weeks, you realize just how much you’ve accomplished.
Pat yourself on the back
Along the way, I spontaneously added a second list: The Dankbaar List. It’s Dutch for “grateful.” So there you go: Done and Dankbaar.
My little work diary moments have become precious minutes before going to bed. They leave me feeling satisfied and pleased, and all it takes is a pencil and notebook.
Being a freelancer is still no picnic. I work harder than any boss has ever made me. But at least this boss laughs out loud and has really cool sneakers.