Planning tips and tricks for freelancers, business owners and WFH'ers
When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
I was meant to write this last week, but it got waylaid by my dad, which is why I need to have a plan in place for my newsletters, blogs and other content. It’s something I never had to think about before being self-employed.
I can help businesses plan their content no problem, but it’s always been something I’ve struggled with doing for myself. I guess I’ve never been bothered, but after the last few weeks of having deadlines hit me and working all hours, I realised my working routine was out of place with my energy levels. A plan was needed.
I have to say a massive thank you to my Leapers Accountability Pod mates for helping with the ideas for this and giving me some great ideas to work on.
Planning tips
Plan for the week ahead at the end of the current week - You’ll start the new week fresh, ready to go and with a clearer idea of what you’ve got to do. Planning on a Monday morning can often lead to you feeling behind before you’ve even started. When I plan on a Monday, it sends me into a spiral of procrastination, and nothing gets done!
Block off parts of your calendar - Blocking off several bits of your calendar to cover rush jobs/ad hoc projects/passion projects/personal time. I mix mine up, so it’s not always at the same time every day. I also block off time for networking meetings that I’m a regular at to remind me to book them in. I’m just about to get this done for next week.
Get into a routine - Imagine your spare bedroom/dining table is the office. Do your normal morning routine, as if you’re heading into your commute, switch on your smart speaker and have a very one-sided conversation (just like speaking to that one person in the office who never answered back) and head to your desk. I stick a podcast on, so it’s like having the general buzz of conversation around me and crack on.
Have a to-do list close at hand - Break larger tasks into manageable chunks. For example, a blog post for a client would become four tasks.
Research/structure
Write up
Edit and proofread
Send to client
Yes, I have a reminder to send things to clients; it does work and also means you have a clear finish to a job.
Take a break - Taking breaks throughout the day is beneficial to your health and well-being and helps refresh your mind. Taking at least half an hour for lunch is more important than you think. Just because you work from home does not mean you can skip your breaks! Ben.org.uk discusses this in detail, and there are plenty of studies to back up their blogs and work. It’s well worth a read!
Have a firm end to the working day - Finish at a time that suits you but gives you enough time to wind down and relax. Shut down your laptop, and put it away if you work in a communal area in the house. You won’t be tempted to get it out and work after tea/kids are in bed etc. if you have put everything away. Spend ten minutes to recharge and unwind (if you can), and then you’ve got your evening to yourself.
Use Asana/Trello/another planner - I use Asana for our team projects and Trello for things that I have going on for passion projects or my blog. It keeps everything separate and in order. Using a project planner like this can also help you with collaborations or large projects.
What happens if an emergency/unexpected problem arises?
Does a family member need some help/laptop broken? Do not stress; speak to your client if you have a deadline looming and check if deadlines can be pushed back. Check your calendar to see what can be moved around to accommodate anything unexpected. Clients are more mindful of issues cropping up since COVID, so always make sure you contact them to let them know if anything does crop up.
Another little hint…
Find your best time for working - mine is between 9 am and 3 pm, and then I pick up work once my son is in bed. I find my mind can research more at night, so I do a lot of my blog research and structuring at night. Some people will work best late at night or first thing in the morning. Finding the time where your energy is at its peak is so important for your routine and planning.
Half Term!
It’s half term this week; Cal is booked into holiday club, so I have an extra 3 hours a day to work! This is why this newsletter is on time and has been planned!
We’re off on Friday, meeting up with Cal’s cousins and going to a trampoline park. I might take my book and read whilst they’re jumping around; I have bad luck with trampolines, so I will be relaxing on this one!
Book Reviews
Two more book reviews will be out this week.
We have Clara’s Return - a fantasy novel that could be the start of a new series and Migration Event - a conspiracy thriller that is one of my books of the year. Take a look at bookswithgina.co.uk to find your next read!
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