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Hello all! I am a freelance voice over artist, a freelance Japanese translator and a freelance blogger / vlogger. I have been freelancing for the past 5 years and there is nothing that I would trade this life for. We all know the biggest benefit of working independently is that you are your own boss. However, because there is no one to keep a watch over our work, it is crucial that we build some rules for ourselves, lest we fall into the clutches of idleness and procrastination.
Following are some of the tips that would help you keep yourself self-regulated and work to your full potential.
1. Maintain a Dairy
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This is the first and the most important step to keep yourself in check. Many times, as a freelancer, I end up dillydallying on my work. So to snap myself out of any lethargy I keep a list of do-to things ready at my disposal for every single day. I make sure that my list is very accessible and visible so that it constantly demands that I put my other distractions away and get to work.
2. Mark your important mails as important
This might come across as a very silly and an obvious thing to do, but trust me, it wasn't as obvious to me when I started out. This resulted in many of my emails being pushed further down the page until I completely forgot about them. So I started star-marking all the important mails. These mails include conversations about on-going projects which have a deadline, clients that have not cleared my bill or scripts that need some corrections.
3. Maintain an excel sheet for all your payments
Being a freelancer comes with some risk of not getting paid. If you are a freelancer too then you must have endured clients who either keep avoiding payments or never reply to your mails. In such a scenario it is important that you insist for their office phone numbers and write them alongside your pending payment section so that you get in touch with them. Also, mention the date on which you completed the project, the date when you got paid, any pending amount, any tax cut as well as transaction IDs in case of wire transfers. This will save you a whole lot of trouble and time at the end of the year for taxation purposes.
4. Ask for advance payments
In line with my previous point, not all clients are true to their word. Some clients will run away after you have submitted their work or will keep trying to delay your payments. Therefore, for your first time while working with new clients ask for a 50% advance payment. Make sure that you keep your work ready. As soon as the payment is done, release your project.
5. Stick to a proper meal time
Sometimes we are so engrossed in an assignment that we tend to ignore the grumbling sound of our stomach. The best way to guarantee a productive day is to make sure that you keep your tummy full with a healthy diet on a proper time. Set an alarm for when you have lunch and get up as soon as it rings.
6. Keep your phone habits in check
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As freelancers most of our time is spent on the internet. For most freelancers, their business happens online. This is a disastrous invitation to wiling away time on social media unnecessarily. Keep social media usage to the minimum through the day. One way of doing this is by not use mobile apps. Access SNS only on your computer. Or set a bracket of 10 mins between every two hours when you will indulge in SNS.
7. Try to be a morning person
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In today's day it is quite challenging to follow good sleeping habits. Mostly because the people that you are working with are night owls and you must keep up with them in order to get work done. Even so, set a rule prior to taking up new assignments. If you are forthcoming with your conditions, chances are your clients will respect your decision of following a disciplined life. Unless you are a filmmaker and have to do a midnight shoot, try to keep odd working hours at bay as far as possible.
I hope these tips that I follow myself will help you as freelancers. Some of these tips can be used for all kinds of lifestyle! If you can think of any other ways to be a productive freelancer, let me know in the comments below!