This submit was produced in collaboration with Hustle Tradition, a free Substack e-newsletter.
Each freelancer brings a novel mixture of technical and inventive experience to the desk, however most of us share two key abilities: self-discipline and time administration. With out these, working for your self can seem like lengthy, sluggish days on the sofa or weeks jam-packed with limitless duties. I’ve fallen into each of these modes, however over time I’ve developed a method that helps me create a manageable and productive weekly schedule.
It’s tough for me to sit down and concentrate on one activity for a lot of hours at a time. As a substitute, I break up my days and weeks into devoted blocks for every of my weekly obligations. This permits me to handle my time and create a calendar I can stick with. It additionally offers me a framework for which initiatives I can say sure to, and what would possibly push me past my limits.
Under, I’ve outlined a broad day in my life, which incorporates each artistic writing work and the initiatives I do for publications and types. Please word that not day by day seems to be this good! Typically I speak to my mother on the cellphone for an hour, watch YouTube, or clear the entire home to keep away from working. That is the schedule I try for, however life is commonly extra difficult than the constructions I create prematurely.
First Factor (7 a.m. to eight:30 a.m.)
That is my devoted artistic writing time. I get up round 6:45 a.m., make tea, after which shortly open Google Docs earlier than my mind can persuade me to not. Most frequently I’m engaged on chapters for my memoir-in-progress, although typically I take advantage of this time to write down different essays or define new concepts. Inside this time-frame I additionally eat a little bit of breakfast, all the time oatmeal. I’ve been consuming the identical breakfast for a decade as a result of I don’t actually know the best way to cook dinner.
Train and Get Prepared (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
After I labored in an workplace full time, I exercised very first thing within the morning. In hindsight, I notice that routine was fairly laborious on my physique. Now that I make my very own schedule, I wait till my writing is finished, then head out for a stroll, begin a exercise video at residence, or go to the yoga studio across the nook from my house. As soon as that’s executed, I bathe and prepare for the remainder of the day.
Consumer Work (10 a.m. to ~4 p.m.)
Throughout this mid-day block, I concentrate on paid writing work. That features placing collectively newsletters, blogs, op-eds, or analysis for the shoppers I work with each month. After I’m on deadline for a journalism piece, I additionally conduct interviews and write these tales throughout this a part of the day. I attempt to wrap up by 3:30 or 4 p.m., relying on how a lot is on my plate. I additionally take 15 to half-hour to eat lunch (away from my pc and cellphone!) round midday or 1 p.m.
On Fridays, I dedicate a lot of this time to invoicing, taxes, e mail follow-ups, planning my week forward, and different life admin. I choose to deal with all of that in someday somewhat than letting it seep into different components of the week.
Pitching, Concepts, Studying (~4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I spend the late afternoon engaged on pitches for brand spanking new concepts or placing freetogether ideas for private essays. That features analysis, reaching out to editors, and dropping notes into numerous Google Docs (that I attempt very laborious to maintain organized however in the end turn out to be unwieldy). As a result of this work is unpaid till the pitch is offered, I concentrate on it after all of the paid work is finished.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I take advantage of the top of the day to journal or atone for studying. That features longform articles, Substack posts I’ve bookmarked, and nonfiction books that inform no matter I’m engaged on.
Some afternoons, I am going to a espresso store to change my focus and get out of the home. Loads of the cafes in my neighborhood don’t have WiFi, which is good for analog duties like writing by hand or studying however not so good for analysis or emails.
Often, I take advantage of this time to see a brand new museum exhibit, watch a film in theaters, or go to an off-peak yoga class. I attempt to remind myself that I turned a freelancer to be free and that my day can look nonetheless I would like it to!
Evenings
Two nights per week, I’ve class in-person for my MFA program from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Due to that, I attempt to preserve the opposite nights comparatively free and cease working by 6 p.m. Typically I wrestle to cease checking emails, so I flip my cellphone fully off and attempt to get outdoors once more earlier than it will get darkish.
After I began freelancing, I let work creep into all hours of the weekday and the weekends. Recently, I’ve been making an attempt to align my hours with that of a “regular” work day once I can, although I do make changes once I’m touring, visiting household, or simply having an off week.
