Working from home for you certainly has benefits. You don’t have someone’s schedule to comply with, no meetings and certainly no commute. When you happen to be an entrepreneur the conventional productivity traps are not present.
However, the downfall of many entrepreneurs that don’t have a boss breathing down their neck to get it down is learning how to get it done and make productive decisions on their own. Disciplining yourself to create the activities necessary to generate income doesn’t come easy for a lot of folks. Make the most of your time and to be as productive as possible takes self-discipline.
These are several tools that you can use to make yourself more productive as an entrepreneur or freelancer.
Spend more time playing
I know this sounds contradictive to what we just discussed. One of the theories that a lot of people that go to work for them have is they will have more time to play. More time to do the things they enjoy doing rather than what they have to do is the mindset that many come into entrepreneurship with. Though, what actually happens is the entrepreneurs that are task oriented will find they have a never ending list of task to do and they find this is always on their mind no matter what they are actually doing.
When entrepreneurs should be playing they are worried about what they have to do, what is left to be done and what they haven’t done yet. If you dedicate a little time each week to enjoying the things that you truly love, you will discover that you more productive because you are happier. Happier people are more productive. This is a proven fact. Therefore, take the time to make time to play. Take off at least one day each week and don’t worry about work. Play and enjoy yourself. You will be happier and more productive as an entrepreneur or freelancer.
Take breaks
Breaks are needed to allow your body to rest, but also your mind. Human beings are not machines. They need to re-energize and rejuvenate. The batteries are not charged by being plugged in. you need to let your mind and body work to be more productive.
You will get more done if you are energized for 45 minutes due to a 15 minute break than working the full hour and basically spinning out drivel or half way workinstead of great work for 45 minutes. Take breaks to be more productive as an entrepreneur or freelancer.
Make your work environment inviting
Your work environment has a bearing on the work you create. A great working environment can make your work great. This means that if you are working in a quagmire of a mess you mind is messy and your work with reflect it. Take the time to make your work environment inviting.
Other than cleaning up the mess around you also consider changing your work environment from time to time. For those entrepreneurs that find their work space in a cold stark home office, change the environment. On a warm sunny day move the computer in front of the window. Hang up a painting that you enjoy looking at from time to time.
Move to the deck or out on the patio. Even in the cold winter months, let the sun shine in to put you in a better frame of mind.
Smells are also important. Candles or incense can also heighten your mood and senses. Moods can be created from spaces our bodies occupy. More clean and streamlined space will put you in a better mood and make your productivity soar.
Make your work environment more inviting and be more productive as an entrepreneur.
Slow is sometimes a better way to go
When people imagine productivity they sometimes confuse this with being fast. This is certainly not always the case. Sometimes taking things the slow way will be more productivity than fast.
There are times where the situation will call for a slow study pace instead of the 100 yard dash to complete a task more productivity. Evaluate the situation and determine which is more productive. If you go fast this can lead to frustration and unnecessary mistakes
These are several tools that you can use to be more productive as an entrepreneur or freelancer.
Nice tips. The top challenge as a freelancer is building trust through meeting deadlines. Missing deadlines will compromise your success as a freelancer.
ReplyDeleteFreelancing is a lonely job. You have to be motivated, have good time management skills, and know how to combat writer's block. If you write daily, then writing should be an instinctive action.
Affiliate programs are worthless. You can generate 50,000 unique per month across a hundred websites and not score a single affiliate sale. 300 banner and link clicks amounted to no revenue. Two years working with several affiliate programs netted $0. The only revenue that seems to be consistent is PPC on parked domains.
Putting up too many banners slows down a website. If the banners fail to materialize, it better to find sponsors that are willing to pay a monthly fee.
Happy people are those which are capable of surviving in this morbid economy. Taking breaks and playing require money. If there are too many international freelancers bidding very low on projects, then you can't afford to beat them to accept a $2 article. It is better writing on your websites than to accept cheap work. In result, the project owner will likely have high standards, whereas they are only paying peanuts.
The most effective way to become productive as a freelancer is to choose projects which compliment your interest level. Thanks for the tips. Happy 2012!
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