It’s really difficult to stay on task when you’re freelancing or working at home! There are just too many distractions! How do we manage our lives with so much television, video games, board games, Lego blocks, etc.
I’m not sure how I did it, but I’ve worked as a freelance writer from home. It’s a lonely existentialist existence, but not insofar as to make me become a Nihilist. I just wanted to sound smart and impressive.
Either way, I had to be productive while working without supervision! How did I do it? Read on to find out!
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Keep a Schedule!
I’m not saying that you should keep a work schedule and just work the exact same hours every day. That’s the reason why you decided to work from home! You get to spend time with the kids, take them to and from school, cook them dinner, work out at the gym, etc. How do you even find the time to get any work done with all this time dedicated to having a real life?
Well, keep a planner handy and set a to-do list for the day. Try to make an effort to stick to that schedule. Also, it doesn’t hurt to cook your family meals a week in advance. -
Communication is Key!
Honesty is always good in building working relationships with anyone. However, that doesn’t mean that you should call your boss a… bad word… if you don’t do your work. Be truthful about what you’re doing and talking to your employers about any concerns about timelines and expectations.
This is how you keep both you and the person paying you from developing a bad relationship. This way, if you do everything you needed to do to the best of your ability, people can’t complain about your work! -
Contract Work is a Partnership, and Payment Should Be Fair!
Never work for free on a contract job. That’s called an internship, and any company worth a grain of salt will pay you for accepting one. When starting work with someone new, the terms should be transparent in order to avoid problems. If you can, get paid up front if you’re not signing anything, or get half the money when you start and half when you’re done.
If nothing else, trust your gut. Even if it were a bad decision for whatever reason, it was yours to make. You felt that something wasn’t right and bailed. You can’t be mad at yourself for making your own decisions. -
Stay Focused!
Doing your job while streaming videos online? Don’t pay attention to those videos! You’ll get stuck in a loop of never-ending stories!
Got a problem with sleep? Buy a standing desk! Get coffee! Take a break!
If you’re freelancing and you’re working, it means you need to get paid! Do the work! Pay your rent! -
Maintain an Organized Workspace!
Don’t forget to cross your Q’s and dot your I’s. It doesn’t have to be an actual work space if you’re on a laptop, but make sure things are organized well so that you can turn in clean work. Being professional is always better than turning in sloppy work!
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Go Outside!
You’re not a dwarf in a fantasy novel! If you haven’t seen the sun in a few months, you’re going to get lonely!
Human contact is an important part of living. Don’t make the mistake of staying at home ALL THE TIME unless you’ve got a phobia! In which case, I hope you get through your time of need and learn to accept kind people with open arms.