How do I fit 25 hours into a 24-hour day? Selena Templeton asked me that, essentially, in a recent comment.
I’m no paragon, but I’ve been freelancing successfully for nearly three decades. I’ve developed some approaches that I know work. Initially, they were survival mechanisms. Now I truly enjoy them.
Above all else, rid yourself of any delusional notion that you can multitask. The concept is a sham. It invites FADD: Freelance Attention-Deficit Disorder. Before you know it, you’re lost in the Twittersphere, following someone’s jokey Facebook link, reading The Onion, or looking for old Lucy bits on YouTube. (Gee, does it sound like I’ve been there?)
Next: Take care of yourself. You’re the top race horse in your stable, and you’ve got a lot invested in your health and abilities. Feed that hoss good hay. Let him rest. Work him hard! Then let him rest again.
I devote my early morning to meditation, exercise (as you know, I’m a bike geek), and a good breakfast. I report to work (my home office) on time. I answer the early e-mails. Then…
I build focused blocks of time in to my day. If you’re a part-time freelancer working at night, you might have just one session under the light of a midnight-oil lamp. All the more reason to be fully focused. Full-timers, you should schedule three to five dedicated time blocks every day.
During those times, schedule one task. One task only. Devote yourself to it fully for the entire time block. I like two-hour segments. Turn off your e-mail. Turn off your iPhone or Blackberry. Don’t be a slave to those devices, or to anyone demanding your attention.
You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in one of those sessions. I can’t tell you how much I love them! And I work really, really hard during those time periods.
Don’t run overtime, even if you’re in a groove. Set a timer and stop when it dings. (I use www.online-stopwatch.com. That’s their hourglass image above.) Get up and stretch, breathe some fresh air, have a healthy snack.
Then, before your next focused-attention segment, answer calls and e-mails. Tweet. Cruise by Facebook. But don’t get lost.
Then back to focusing.
That’s the nutshell version. There’s more in my book. There I explain the concept of energy management versus time management. I’ll share more here, too, because I love this subject. I practice what I preach, and I know it works. But I also respect your time. Enough for now.
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Anyone else have surefire methods for managing time and energy? Share them below!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Seeing I came to your website through Twitter, it would be foolish of me to say I don’t get lost in social media networks, but I have learned to shut them off and not worry about the fact I might miss a tweet or important update. Since a majority of my work is done high in the Colorado Mountains, I can’t stay connected all the time, and when I do have internet access usually I have to work.
Few things that keep me on task:
- Setting short-term and long-term goals. I write them down and stick them on my wall. When I reach one I cross it off. Otherwise I would never see progress.
- Keep myself motivated by asking for paper checks. It might take a bit longer to get, but going to the bank every so often reminds me I do actually get paid for me work.
- Get out and be social. I find it’s easy for me to become buried in my work and not leave my house for days. By going out and grabbing a drink or going for a run, I can ditch the office and play outside.
- Finally, and possibly the most important, I don’t drink before 12. It sounds easy, but on a warm summer day on my back deck with the mountains shimmering in the early-monring sunlight, a cold, dark IPA can easily be justified by 11:30a.m….
Great post Bob thanks. And timely too! :) I just had a similar experience, and have found January to be extremely sllooooowww. So I’ve been using that time to up my marketing efforts, put together new ideas, and work on my own content. Meditation is on my list, so maybe I’ll start that today. :)
Warm regards,
C
Bob! So pleasantly surprised to see my name in your blog! :) LOVED reading about how you keep focused and productive – you’ve inspired and encouraged me. Must go now, my timer for responding to your article just went off!
Oooh, thanks so much for this post! Lord knows I have issues with managing my time wisely. I really like the time block idea- definitely will be using that one.
Thanks again! : )
I definitely suggest freelance writers use blocks of time to manage their projects, in addition to thinking about the calendar as a sacred area for only the musts. Writers should check out The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Project Management: http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/12/15/freelancing/business-career/the-freelance-writers-guide-to-project-management/
The possiblity of having my best shot come up short has never worried me.
> One, I’m not certain what my very best shot would be. Two, the fun is in the chase. What would worry me most is the possibility that the day may come when I no longer think the next piece I write has the potential of being better than the last or as good as my favorite. Living each day to learn and grow within the insanity I call my trade is, for me at least, paramount to my promise to myself.
Great post, Bob…I’ve got to get serious about focusing on what I’m writing and not getting distracted. There are more online distractions now than ever in history and it’s only getting worse! And it’ll never stop. Only we can draw some boundaries….
More on time management over on my site here