{"id":8367,"date":"2021-02-24T15:14:05","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T13:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/?p=8367"},"modified":"2026-04-22T16:52:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:52:40","slug":"organize-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/managing-tasks\/organize-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Organize Yourself and Your Time as a Freelancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Freelancing is more than just neatly ordering your daily schedule, having your contacts and resources in check, being super productive, and starting off your day at 8 AM. Knowing how to organize yourself as a freelancer is also learning to grasp your time and resources as tools to become prolific and content with this lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll discuss how to address the three big factors in every freelancer\u2019s life: time, resources, and the mind. Once you\u2019re familiar with all three, you\u2019ll have an easier time forming your own schedule. You might even find new things you didn\u2019t know needed to be addressed in your own daily workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize your time to stay on top of everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, we\u2019ll first want to find out how to organize our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because time is always of the essence, and we need more of it, right? Following are some tips on how to better organize your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track your time to find the time sinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the core of time organization is discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sticking to a schedule is one of the toughest habits to pick up because we tend to get sidetracked. Whether it\u2019s procrastination due to our monkey brain<\/a> or outside factors like kids, caring for loved ones, errands, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why, as tedious as it may seem, we need to start tracking our time<\/a>. Even before constructing your schedule, spend a week taking note of every activity you spend time on. Track even your most common distractors, such as Facebook or Instagram, chatting with friends and coworkers, or just your attention drifting off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try Clockify by CAKE.com FREE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you are able to add up that time at the end of the day, you\u2019ll have a clearer idea of how to avoid making those mistakes. As a result, your schedule will be more organized and purposeful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The important thing is to stick to a schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all work in different ways. Some people function better in the morning, while others may reach their peak hours only in the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s crucial to know when you are most productive to make the best schedule for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otherwise, you\u2019re blindly organizing your time. Important tasks could fall in time slots when your energy is lower, while trivial ones get the peak hours. Soon enough, you fall behind and stare down the barrel of long work hours and overtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The important thing is to know that this doesn\u2019t mean you need to start your workday at 8 AM. Starting at 11 AM is just as valid. It doesn\u2019t work the same for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the structure that matters.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize your long-term goals, then work towards smaller ones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your organization skills will improve drastically if you try to plan out the months ahead, then weeks, and then switch to daily tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set your long-term goals<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A freelancer friend once gave me great food for thought: set aside the time to plan out your long-term goals<\/a>. Especially if freelancing is your full-time job<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And by that, he didn\u2019t mean \u201cfinish project A in two weeks\u201d. It was more about asking the questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do I want to be in two months?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many new clients do I want to acquire within the next six months?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I get into a freelancing community?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your roadmap could look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goal<\/b><\/td>Timeframe<\/b><\/td>Method<\/b><\/td><\/tr>
Where do I want to be?<\/td>2 months<\/td>Figure out what kind of work I want to be doing;
Consider online classes to brush up on skills.<\/td><\/tr>
How many new clients do I want to acquire?<\/td>within 6 months<\/td>Research through linked-in
Ask other freelancers for connections<\/td><\/tr>
How can I get into a freelancing community?<\/td>this year<\/td>Month 1<\/i> – look for coworking spaces
Month 2<\/i> – sign up for newsletters
Month 3 <\/i>– reach out for collaborations<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picturing your freelancing career months or even years down the line will give you a solid framework. You lay out a path for yourself, and knowing which direction you\u2019re taking makes all your scheduling and resource choices more purposeful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set your short-term goals<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Going by the table above, it becomes clearer how you can schedule out your weeks and days. You won\u2019t be simply working day-to-day on short-term goals, but have something specific to work towards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deadlines become tighter and make more sense. Besides you get to stress less about the small things, as you will always have the bigger picture in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan out your work hours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are several ways to approach your work hours. And as we\u2019ve mentioned, they\u2019ll differ from person to person.
Here\u2019s how freelancers normally organize their work hours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Working in two-three chunks throughout the day, with longer breaks for errands or leisure time in between.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Working in multiple, shorter chunks that expand throughout the day (whether it\u2019s because of personal life conflicts or client and collaborator timezones)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Working in a single, 8-hour chunk as if it was a 9 to 5 office job.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    All three methods are valid and it\u2019s best to give a week for each of them to see which one suits you best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \ud83d\udca1 Want to see how other freelancers work? One of our articles explores how freelancers spend their time.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Organize your space and resources for maximum productivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In the following section, we\u2019ll discuss why you need to organize not only your workspace but other aspects of your personal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Getting a good grasp on schedules other than your work can give you the necessary practice to handle more obligations, or successfully juggle the ones you already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Learn how to automate some of your tasks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Looking for advice from freelancers themselves, I\u2019ve delved into Reddit\u2019s freelance community. And among a lot of useful tips concerning motivation, client, and project management, I found one that really stood out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The freelancer in question mentioned how their chronic illness forced them to organize their resources so that the workflow never gets disrupted. They work very limited hours per week, so the schedule has to be airtight. And to be honest, it\u2019s a schedule we can all learn from:<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n