Freelancing to Freedom

MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY = MAXIMUM FREEDOM.

This is the message written in big letters on a purple sticky note above my computer. It’s in my face every time I look up. There is no freedom in chaos.

Beautiful summer days are upon us again here in Calgary, and as I’ve written about in summers past, being self-motivated in the summer requires an extra effort. My purple note above my computer reminds me, however, that freelancing provides the wonderful opportunity for schedule customization.

What do you want to do this summer? Camp? Chill at the lake? Catch up on your reading? Spend afternoons in the mountains?

Take the time to sit down and assess your schedule. Exactly how many hours will it take you to finish the client work (for example) that’s due this week? You may find the number much smaller than you thought once you break it down. It’s quite unbelievable how much time gets wasted on randomness on any given day.

Once you’ve figured out your numbers, slot them into your schedule as appropriate. Want to take Tuesday afternoon off for some time by the river but know you have six hours of work to complete that day? Make the effort to get up earlier and bang off the six hours of work before noon.

Sounds pretty obvious, I know. But it’s easier than you might think to fall into a victim mentality: “Woe is me, what a beautiful day and I have so much work to do. Hmm, I wonder if I have a new email. What’s up on Facebook today? Oh, my friend is calling, I’ll just break for ten minutes.”

Spend time figuring out how to spend your time. And make sure you schedule fun time. On that note, it’s sunshine time for this girl.

This week’s goal: Take time every morning to appreciate the new day and vow to make the best of it.

Songs of the week:  “Valium” – Mutemath (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D29cZfA0nSc)

Namaste 

Rachel