The Importance of a Good Routine in Freelancing

It’s been a struggle to find a balance but I’ve made some progress

In the past couple of weeks, a few things have happened. I wrote an article about feeling burned out and writing every day. I have also struggled to maintain a balance with everything.

My day job has been picking up. I’ve been on Upwork and Fiverr for a few months and I had been gaining traction on Upwork. I have a small writing gig but some of my proposals have been successful in an interview or two. With the articles I have written on Medium, I have been pleased with the amount of progress I’ve made. I know it isn’t a lot, but it is something. But with all this work and deadlines, I’ve realized having a good routine is more important than ever.

Getting your priorities down

I struggle with an all-or-nothing mindset with work and balancing self-care. One thing I have needed to work on is figuring on weekly goals, deadlines, and also taking time for myself.

I utilize my phone and Google calendar to keep track of weekly appointments and places I need to go. The day before reminders about doctor or therapy appointments is a nice jolt to remind me that there is a world that exists outside of working remotely.

The biggest tool in helping me determine my priorities is a Moleskine planner with a weekly calendar on one side and a page for notes on the other. I still jot down those same appointments on the left side but I also include a breakdown of my day with that weekly calendar. On the right side, I write down weekly goals and priorities, including weekly goals I hope to accomplish, work deadlines that are looming, and any other important weekly to-dos. That old bit of advice that writing it down physically with pen and paper versus typing it out helps you remember and retain information has never been truer. I feel like the goals and tasks are more tangible versus it just being a reminder that I see pop up on my phone the day before.

The separation of work from the rest of my life

This was a bitter lesson I had learned early on last year during the initial covid lockdown and the first few months of working remotely. That all-or-nothing mentality continued to follow me. I found myself working at all hours of the day. There was more than one occasion of me staying awake for 24 hours or more just to work. It wasn’t a healthy habit and was making my already existing anxiety worse.

Now, I try to disconnect from work at a certain time in the evening and won’t return to it until the next morning. The times can vary from either 6 pm going all the way until 9 pm. But after I disconnect, I always try to get myself an hour to decompress before I go to bed to avoid still thinking about the deadline as I try to fall asleep.

It’s still a difficult task for me because I feel this constant need to still be working, even at the expense of my well-being. But while I continue to work on this, I’m proud of the progress I have made.

Having a way to destress during the week

The day is done. My day job is complete. My daily writing quota for freelancing is fulfilled. I have a couple of hours before bed to try and destress. I’ve been working on changing some habits over the past year into more positive, healthier habits rather than cracking a beer at the end of the day. I’ve been trying to incorporate taking small walks, the gym, and doing something like playing video games in moderation. I am far from a health nut or a hardcore grammar but having something else besides writing to break up my day helps keep me sane.

Conclusion

I know it isn’t much nor can I claim to be an expert on freelancing, but these few things have been helpful in trying to balance a very routine week to week.