2. Stress is normal... in certain amounts.
Change these 7 habits and you'll be
on your way to a more stress free
freelance life.
3. Blurry Boundaries.1
Remember: your goal is to have enough
clients to make a living. If you let each of
those clients believe that they can get
ahold of you 24/7, and that you can always
complete projects ASAP, you’re going to
experience burnout.
The only way to combat this is to set clear
boundaries from the get-go.
4. Free-wheeling.2
You may not have a boss breathing down your
neck about too-long lunch breaks anymore,
but you do need to maintain some kind of
schedule in order to keep yourself on-task
and organized.
Google Calendar and even project
management software like Trello can help
you keep your day in order and keep you from
forgetting important tasks or appointments.
5. Clutter.3
Wading through clutter hijacks precious work
time, whether you’re digging through stacks of
paper or drowning in an overfilled inbox.
If you’re trudging through an hour of mundane
tasks before you get down to business each
day, there’s a good chance you’re due for
some work/life/environment de-cluttering.
6. Sleeping through the slow times.4
Let’s face it: freelancing isn’t always a
feverishly bustling hamster wheel of work.
Slow periods in your freelance life present
fantastic opportunities to revisit your passions
and refuel your creativity. Help your career
thrive by taking the time to nurture your
creativity.
7. Wearing too many hats.5
As your business grows, it’s a good idea to
specialize.
Sometimes the extra hats can take the form of
administrative tasks. If you find that you could
make more money by paying someone else to
take care of those things, you might try
outsourcing the items you’re not passionate about.
8. All work and no play.6
Don’t forget: Freelancing lets you lead the life
you love; drowning in stress is not the goal.
You need to find time for whatever floats your
boat… because you’re the captain of this
freelance ship, and the last thing you need is
to fall asleep at the helm because you’re
bored or depressed.
9. You’re not moving enough.7
If you do most of your work sitting at a desk or
a computer, you’ve got to get yourself moving.
Inactivity can lead to health problems like
heart disease and obesity… both of which
add stress to your life, and can hinder you
from doing the work that you love.
