Time Management Tips for Freelance Writers

Your day starts off well. You've had breakfast and are at the computer by 8:30 a.m. armed with your second cup of coffee. Today's assignment is to start writing a 1,000-word blog post for a client. A few sips of coffee and you're on your way.

You are diligently doing research when some news item catches your eye. You click on several links until you have officially disappeared down an internet rabbit hole. Then you remember you have to get back to writing. Before you do, you get a new email notification and check to see if it's from a client. It isn't, but you take the time to read all the emails that have appeared in your inbox since the last time you checked.

You know where this is going, don't you? Before you know it, It's 5:30 and time to start dinner. The good news is time management is a skill. Here are some tips on how to be a more productive freelancer.

Prepare for Today the Night Before

Before are done for the day, know roughly what the next day will look like. Do you have a doctor's appointment that can't be rescheduled; have to do a time-sensitive errand, or have to attend a meeting?

Setting out the clothes you'll be wearing, prepping breakfast, making lunches, and filling the water bottle you take on your morning run the night before will save you time. And it will give you breathing room should something unexpected interrupt your morning routine.

Create a Daily Schedule

A daily schedule should list everything you need to do throughout the day to complete deadlines and daily goals. Prioritize tasks. Include non-negotiables such a exercising, eating healthy, or taking mindful breaks.

You might feel pressured by a looming deadline or an unavoidable interruption and be tempted to skip your treadmill workout or grab a bag of chips for lunch. But it's that break away from writing and taking care of yourself that will get you productively through the rest of the afternoon.

Organize Your Workspace

Tempting as it is to leave everything where you dropped it and walk away from your desk, it creates a negative work environment. Papers waiting to be filed, random scribbled notes strewn across the desktop or stuck on the edges of your screen, day-old coffee mugs, and empty munchie bags can actually drain your energy and make you less productive. Not only is clutter a distraction, it takes up valuable real estate.

Take the time to organize your workspace. Find what works for you and arrange everything you use on a daily basis accordingly. With things in their assigned places, you will save time (better spent on writing) not having to search for stuff. A tidy, well-organized work area encourages creativity and efficiency.

Everything in One Place

You wouldn't start cooking a meal without choosing a recipe and then gathering together everything you need to make the dish. Before you settle down to write, keep things like a water bottle (hydration's important), snacks, a charger, and headphones close to hand. This will make you more productive if you don't have to stop writing, get up from your laptop, fetch a snack or a highlighter, and then sit back down again.

Time Management Related Tools

Time management tools can help you be more disciplined and keep to your writing schedule. As with any other type of app, they come with a number of different features. Since time management is personal and different for each freelancer, select a time management tool that reflects your work/life balance.

If an all-in-one platform isn't appealing to you, use a time tracking program that puts the focus how long specific tasks take you and where your time is going instead of what should be done and in what order.

Use on online timer - you can select one with or without music. They typically include 5 minute breaks for every 25-minute timeframe.

Other time management related tools for freelance writers include distraction blockers, apps that create a full-screen writing environment, and project planners.

Distract Yourself from Distractions

Social media is a big distraction for writers. Put yourself on a social media diet - don't check during the hours you've scheduled for writing or check when you're having a break.

Before you start writing, put your phone on silent. Turn off email notifications.

If you're used to writing later in the day, consider getting into the habit of writing early in the morning when there are fewer distractions (and more productivity).

It not just social media. Know what other things pose a distraction for you - the view from your window, breakfast dishes in the sink, or doing research until it mutates into random internet searches.