yes, you definitely should!
By Wendi Garcia
You’re the boss of you.
That’s probably the best perk you’ll get being a freelancer. You don’t have to worry about having a cold, heartless, and slave-driver boss who makes your life miserable. Instead, you get to work at your own pace, make your own decisions, and do almost whatever you want to do.
But you know what? Having no boss can be a disadvantage too. For one, you need to have the focus and discipline to work hard even with no supervision. For some people that can be a challenge especially if you are the type who can only work efficiently when put under pressure. Otherwise, you just sit around lazily, unable to get off your butt to work.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to make yourself a better boss. Here are some of them.
- Set a schedule.
Schedules are crucial for freelance writers. If you’re loaded with projects, you will be able to work more productively and efficiently if you have a timetable to follow. Determine the quantity of articles you can finish per day and accept projects based on this. Line up your projects according to deadlines so you know which ones to prioritize. You will be more motivated to work if you see the list of articles that you need to finish for the day.
- Stick to your schedule.
You just can’t keep on creating schedules if you’re not going to follow them. If you tell yourself and your client that you will finish 7 articles today, do it. See to it that you set a realistic quota for yourself so quality of your work will not be compromised.
- Reward yourself.
Give yourself a wonderful treat for a job well done. Get a massage or eat that ice cream parfait you’ve been craving all week long after you have made a client happy with your work.
- Punish yourself.
If you failed to complete a particular project because you were too busy looking at your ex’s photos in Facebook or reading every spam mail you’ve gotten, be sure to give yourself some form of punishment as well. Don’t get a massage and don’t eat that ice cream!
- Avoid distractions.
Speaking of Facebook, you need to avoid all sorts of distractions that may come your way (check this article, Get Rid of Writing Distractions Now!). If you are a good boss, you won’t let yourself get distracted with Facebook, YouTube, or any other Internet thing that can interrupt your workflow.
Many freelancers find it hard to shift from this kind of work to a regular job setting. Once you get used to being your own boss (especially if you have become a good one), you will have trouble working for others again. This is why, it is a must that you succeed as a freelance writer so you can forever be the boss of you.
