Ultimate productivity tips for the self-employed

Congratulations. You have finally quit your 9 to whatever time it takes to complete your task O’ clock job. With much contemplation for months, you have finally achieved your dream of working in your shorts at the sweet comfort of your home. You must be really excited with the idea of controlling your own time and achieve limitless productivity. But sometimes, tables turn and prove you otherwise.

As there is no one to control, you take your newfound comfort for granted and end up wasting a lot of time. Times may come when you start doubting your decision of becoming a self-employed individual. To avoid getting there, read this article to understand the effective management of your self-employment routine to achieve maximum productivity and peace of mind.

Structuring your day – ‘What’s in store for today?’ is the question to be asked the first thing in the morning. Check your mails to prioritize and list down the work that you are ought to complete today. Then decide the number of hours of work you are going to put in today accommodating breaks, nap times and probably trips to your grocery stores. For example, if you are a freelance local accountant in UK, list down all the activities and chart a time table as per your appointments.

Effective Planning – This is about strategizing and planning your work on a long term basis. Set your own goals either financial or business objectives for each month or your preferred time frame. Set up deadlines for projects that you have with priorities as per your preferences.

Strategize this planning to achieve your client deadlines, to meet professional goals and for tasks like financial planning, paying taxes, etc. But remember, planning becomes effective only when you stick to the plan.

Use technology to automate work – When you are self-employed, technology is your best friend. You may be running your one-man show with minimal capital, but don’t refrain from investing in software or tools that will enhance your productivity. Consider investing in applications and websites like Asana, Hootsuite, LinkedIn, accounting software, vat checker, etc.

Setting up a good work environment – This is very important as you are going to be spending a long time of your workday here. Set it up with enough sunlight, ventilation and proper ergonomics to spur creativity and the mood for working.

Choose your assignment carefully – It might be intriguing for you to accept each and every client that comes your way. But don’t overload yourself with heaps of work without having time to take a breath. This defeats the purpose of becoming a self-employed professional in the first place. Learn to say ‘no’ to excess work with diplomacy and humility.

Taking care of your health – A good number of people choose to become self-employed for giving importance to their health. Full-time work professionals do not have enough time to exercise or eat healthy putting them at greater risk of health hazards. Now that you have the chance, hit the gym at least 3 to 4 times a week to keep yourself fit and practice mindful eating.

Taking breaks - Take your breaks. When you like it. Because you deserve it. Take a trip nearby coffee shop in the afternoon. Bask in sunlight. But keep them as reward systems for the tasks that you complete. This will promote effective working and satisfaction of not missing out on your breaks.

Making time for your distractions – You may be working as a dedicated self-employed professional now. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out favourite distractions. It is not bad to finish off your work on a Friday evening and binge-watch Game of Thrones once again to know what the Night King is up to.

Tracking progress – This is the most important element of all the above. Keeping track of all the data like the monthly earnings, expenses, time to money ratio, tasks completed and goals achieved is an absolute necessity. This data would help in tracking your progress, strategizing your business goals and filing your taxes for successful self-employment. Tax filing for self-employed professionals can become exhausting. You can find an accountant in UK to help you with tax-related tasks.

Simply put. Work while you work, play while you play. Do this mindfully to avoid physical, mental or a financial breakdown on your self-employment journey and emerge out as a successful and happy individual.