Freelancer takeover: Abi Smith on 5 productivity tips to preserve your creative energy
Abi provides social media management and content strategy for start-ups and local businesses. Get in touch for a free consultation at www.abiswaydigital.com/contact
From one freelance creative to another - your energy is precious and it’s about time you take action to boost your productivity. If you’re anything like me, you started your business to gain freedom. Freedom to pursue your dreams, find financial security and create your own journey without the 9-5 restriction. When I quit my full time job as a marketing manager I was excited to regain control of my daily routine, and feel a sense of joy from creating things aligning with my purpose. The reality was quite the opposite. I’m 4 months into running my own business and it’s still a daily struggle to find structure, motivation and satisfaction in knowing my daily tasks are complete.
If this sounds familiar, here are 5 productivity tips I’ve found to help…
1. Get better at goal setting
We’ve heard it a million times - smart goal setting is key to ultimate productivity. But what exactly does smart mean? Put simply your goals need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time based.
To take this one step further, leadership expert Michael Hyatt recommends a three step goal structure to boost your productivity. Firstly set 3 big goals each quarter. These are not everyday business tasks. They should be something new you’re creating, think product launch or new website reveal. Secondly, each week write down 3 non-negotiable tasks relating to these goals.
Finally, be intentional everyday with your to do list. Make sure you’re working towards your weekly tasks which will slowly chip away at your bigger quarterly goals.
2. Find your flow
You can’t do everything everyday is officially my new mantra. It took me a while to stop comparing myself to other freelancers who in my eyes were doing all the things, all the time! Accept that your journey is different. Take a step back and tune into what environments make your creativity flow.
3. Be strategic with your week
Amidst the excitement of starting my entrepreneurial journey I forgot that I’d have to wear every hat. Marketer, accountant, sales person, PA, you name it. Instead of starting each day overwhelmed, try arranging your week in a way that works to your strengths. I learnt this tip from Anna Codrea-Rado, freelance journalist and founder of FJ & Co.
What I now do is calculate how many hours a week I have to play with. How many hours I need for each task. Then, I try to predict which days I will feel most productive to do each one. For example, Monday afternoons I do not have a lot of creative energy so I spend my afternoon invoicing, budgeting and working out my expenses.
4. Manage distractions
Colleagues, loved ones, emails, social media - they can all be disruptive to your productivity at times. We can’t block them out completely because our work sometimes relies on them. However, learning how to set better boundaries will be a game changer. Honestly, this is a work in progress for me, but I’m starting small. Air plane mode when I’m trying to focus and having set times of the day I read my emails is helping.
5. Prioritise your health
My final tip on boosting productivity comes from my personal experience working with a health coach. Although seemingly unrelated, the more steps I take towards living healthier and more holistically, the more focused on my goals and creative I feel. Moving my body in a way that feels great is an established habit. By prioritising this everyday I’m more grounded. I have more energy to show up for my community and stay focused on my business goals. I recommend finding space in your schedule to do something other than your work that lights your soul on fire!
Written by Abigail Smith, Founder & CEO of Abi’s Way Digital
Abi provides social media management and content strategy for start-ups and local businesses. Get in touch for a free consultation at www.abiswaydigital.com/contact