You must have heard how amazing working as a freelancer is. While daydreaming about the freedom to work whenever, however, and wherever you want, what most people forget to focus on is how they will actually get the work done.
When you start working as a full-time freelancer is when you realise it’s not easy to work on your own. And without a routine, your chances of achieving success as a freelancer are a little difficult. I am not saying it’s impossible, but with you procrastinating, trying to find a balance between work, house, and life, and not being productive most of the day, success can definitely get a little delayed.
There is a specific way your ideal daily routine should look if you wish to be successful as a freelancer. Without beating around the bush anymore let’s straight away dive into it.
PS: This routine is for any and every freelancer. Yes, you all can be working in different fields and have completely different lifestyles but your routine as a freelancer can be similar, if not exactly the same.
Wake Up Before 9 AM
Just because you are working from home and don’t have to meet any time requirements should not mean that you can wake up whenever you want. Treat your freelancing business like any other job because you will be earning through the work you put in, which should begin in the morning.
Now, even if you prefer working at night, you should know how important morning and morning routine is for your sanity. I am not asking you to wake up at 5 in the morning, before 9 AM is reasonable in any and every case.
Spend Your First 30 Minutes in the Washroom Without Phone
Sounds a little weird, doesn’t it? But right after waking up, your first task is to do your business, brush your teeth, and take a shower. Yes, you can skip showers because you aren’t going anywhere but you shouldn’t. Taking a shower or at least splashing water on your face multiple times and then following your skincare routine can help you wake up. Take your time and start your day by treating your body properly.
Don’t bring your phone to the washroom, no music, and no songs should be played during this time. This will help you listen to your thoughts and avoid chaos in your mind as soon as you wake up. Spending time in peace is very important and peaceful, start your day on this note.
Hydrate Yourself and Prepare Breakfast
Your next task should be to hydrate yourself and prepare breakfast. Again, take your time and make something healthy for yourself. Breakfast is one of the most important meals that you shouldn’t be skipping.
If you are doing intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast, what you can do is have water and make yourself coffee or green tea whatever you like but have it. (see, I told you! This routine is for everyone).
Eat and Plan Your Day
Now is your time to sit, eat your breakfast or have coffee, and plan your day. This is your self-care time. And this is your journaling time as well. Whatever you like doing in the morning (except sleeping) use this time to do that. Writing, reading, listening to a podcast, going out for a walk, meditating, or working out whatever you wish to do.
However, don’t forget to sit and write your to-do list for the day because after this self-care exercise you will be diving right into your work.
Work Work!!
Start with checking your emails and completing high-priority tasks. Now here you know better what work you are supposed to do so I’ll leave you on your own. Plan your work according to the importance and try your hand best to just focus on your work. Avoid social media and your phone, and don’t forget to take breaks and drink water.
Also Read: https://blog.hustlepostacademy.com/side-hustles/6-helpful-tips-for-freelancers-to-work-effectively/
Soon It Will Be Lunch Time
Lunch time it is. Don’t skip your lunch, you can delay it of course if you don’t feel hungry or are in the middle of something important but as soon as you are done, take a break and have your lunch. Your lunch break should not be longer than 45 minutes if you live alone and have to prepare your own lunch. If you are a mom or have a family to attend, take a 60 to 90-minute break but nothing more than that, please. The longer you stay away from work, the more unproductive and lazy you will feel. Take some time off, have your lunch with your family, watch Netflix if you are alone, finish your meal, and get back to work.
Back to Work, Chop Chop!!
It is time to finish the pending work of the day and wrap it up. You still have around 3-4 hours of work so there’s no rush. If you have already finished your work for the day, consider investing this time in learning something new or going through the blogs, ebooks, and websites you wanted to but didn’t have time for. This is your time to invest in yourself for your freelancing business. Send cold emails, reply back to the emails, read, learn, improve, and implement. Just make sure you are using your after-lunch hours wisely by staying productive and investing the time in your business.
Done for the Day, Wrap Up
That’s it for the day. I hope you have completed every task on your to-do list by this time. It’s time to prepare and have dinner. Now you can be as lazy as you want to be.
You are done being productive for the day, invest your time in doing things that help you destress after work. Play some music, take a shower if you like, sit on the balcony with a hot cup of tea or go out for a walk. Prepare dinner and have it at least 60 minutes before your bedtime.
During these 60 minutes, you can do something you like doing before bed, like skincare or reading. You can also use your phone but just make sure it doesn’t interfere with your bedtime.
And, it’s time to sleep for today and repeat the routine the following day.
|
Time
|
Activity
|
|---|---|
|
7 AM
|
Wake up and Freshen up
|
|
7:30 AM
|
Prepare your breakfast
|
|
8:00 AM
|
Have your breakfast and plan your day
|
|
8:30 AM
|
Read/ go out for a walk/ listen to podcast/ journal
|
|
9:30 AM
|
Start working (take breaks)
|
|
2:00 PM
|
Lunchtime
|
|
3:00 PM
|
Get back to work
|
|
7:00 PM
|
Wrap up your work, have tea/ go out for a walk
|
|
8:00 PM
|
Prepare and have dinner
|
|
9:30 PM
|
Follow your skincare routine/ read/ use social media
|
|
10:30 PM
|
Sleep
|
Parting Words
Sticking to a routine and being productive all the time might be a little difficult in the initial stage of freelancing but don’t lose hope. If you are yet to start your freelancing journey, pursuing a course that can provide you with a blueprint of the journey is highly recommended as it will make everything clear and easy for you to follow. Hustlepost Academy has a course on how to start and grow your business that is perfect for every freelancer out there. The course prepares you for starting a business that will grow and get you a decent income (we are talking multiple six figures here) within a few months.
