Freelance work has many benefits. Some of the best benefits include no dress code, no commute, and no boss looming over you. But if freelancing is your full-time gig, you know as well as I do that freelance work takes more discipline and willpower than any other job. When you are your own boss, it’s easy to hit snooze or trade a work day for a day at the beach.
As a freelance writer myself, I know the struggle. If you’re asking yourself, how can I be a productive freelance writer? Then this list is for you. I’ve compiled a list of 13 ways to stay focused on writing and other freelance tasks. May the productivity odds be ever in your favor.
Table of Contents
13 Ways to Stay Focused on Writing and Freelance Work
1. Take a Break
This is your self-care reminder. Yes, it’s all too easy to take too many breaks while working from home. But getting lost in your writing flow for hours can be equally as easy. If you aim to create quality content and work for longer periods, make sure you’re taking regular breaks.
If I don’t take regular breaks, my brain turns to mush, and even the easiest projects become impossible. That can cost more time than 10-minute breaks sprinkled throughout my day.
2. Set Timers or Track Your Time
In 1955, Cyril Parkinson created what is now known as Parkinson’s first law. This law says that work will expand to take up the time allotted for its completion. In other words, if you give yourself a week to complete the project, it will take a week. If you give yourself two days, it will take two days.
Setting timers for your tasks can help place boundaries around how long you have to complete something. As a writer, this is incredibly helpful. I often set 15-20 minute timers to complete a section in a blog post. And when I’m struggling to gain traction, knowing I have to move on at the end of the timer forces me to put my finger on a key and get typing. It also helps keep projects within a set time frame so they don’t expand and take the whole week when they really only need a day.
As an added benefit, timers help you track your time. As a freelance writer, you’re likely paid by the project, not the hour. Knowing how much time you’ve devoted to a project can help you ensure it isn’t eating up more of your time than it’s worth.
3. Set Daily Writing Goals
Like a timer, setting daily writing goals can give you an end goal when it doesn’t feel like the end is in sight. This is an excellent method for writers working on long-term projects like books and white papers. Set a goal to write 1 page daily, or perhaps 1,500 words daily. This will help you break overwhelming projects into manageable chunks, stay on task, and accomplish your mini goals on time.
4. Time Block
Time blocking is a time management system where you divide your day into chunks. For example:
- 9-10 am – Answer emails
- 10-12 pm – Write
- 12-1 pm – Lunch
- 1-3 pm – Write
- 3-5 pm – Admin tasks
Everyone’s day will look different, and your day may vary from day to day too. But by time blocking, you can set boundaries around how much time a task can take, which can help you reach your writing goals and stick to a master plan.
Just remember, schedule your writing blocks around your most productive times. For example, some people work best in the morning before sunrise. If that’s you, try scheduling your writing time for 5 – 7 am to maximize your high-productivity periods. Then plan your other blocks around these high-value periods.
5. Remove Distractions
The curse of working from home is that your couch, the bed, and the kitchen are only a few feet away. Oh, and don’t forget Netflix and Instagram too. If you struggle with distractions, find ways to avoid them or set up barriers that make it harder to become distracted.
For example, I like to use an app called Forest. This app creates a digital garden for you. When you need to focus, set a timer in the app. If I navigate away from the app to answer a text, check an email, or browse social media, it kills the tree, leaving my garden looking sad. It may sound silly, but it really works.
You could also try keeping your phone in another room. Or set your browser up to block sites like Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube during working hours. Ultimately, you know your distractions best, so find ways to remove them or make them harder to access, and you’ll find it much easier to stay focused.
6. Establish a Routine
Without a set work schedule, freelancing can be hard. Things that don’t usually interrupt a 9 to 5 work schedule suddenly become interruptions (like taking your dog for a walk, a package delivery, or household chores).
Establishing a routine can help you stay focused when you need to be while giving you the flexibility to live your life outside your head-down working hours. I like to start my morning with a bowl of cereal or oatmeal, a nice cup of coffee, and some light social media work. Then I move into the heavier writing tasks. Others might prefer to start the day with a workout or a good book.
Finding your routine can give you things to look forward to, which can, in turn, help you stay focused when it’s time to put in serious effort.
7. Create a Space You Enjoy
One of the biggest challenges with working from home is that your home no longer becomes just a home. It becomes your place of work too. This is especially true for those who don’t have space for a separate office. So one thing that can help you stay focused is creating a space you enjoy.
Even if you’re shoved into a corner of the apartment looking at a wall or tucked away in a small closet, a lamp, some art, and a candle can go a long way in making your workspace pleasant. Find a work chair that cushions your bum, a monitor that’s easy on the eyes, and a mouse that cradles your hand. The average full-time employee works 2,080 hours each year. Those hours should at least be comfortable, especially if you’re working from home.
8. Find Your Ideal Working Environment
As a former Starbucks studier, I turn to coffee shops when I really need to hunker down and focus. For others, the perfect writing environment might be at home or at a rooftop lounge with a nice breeze. Find where you work best, and visit those spaces regularly.
I don’t visit the coffee shop daily, but I try to work there at least once a week. This has the added benefit of getting me out of the house and in front of other humans. (If I’m lucky, I get to meet other freelancers.)
9. Get Dressed for Work
Let’s be honest, I hate this tip (when others give it). But hear me out. There’s nothing “traditional” about working from a laptop at home, so let’s leave those “traditional” work attire expectations in the past. Find the work attire you enjoy most, and wear it. It’s that easy. It could be something casual like a nice pair of sweats or as dressy as a suit and tie. Everyone’s different. You are your own boss, so play by your own rules.
Nothing sounds more distracting and uncomfortable than wearing a button-up while I work from home all day. So instead, I dress up by wearing sweatshirts branded with my freelance business’ name. They give me the oh-so-cozy comfort I want but also deliver that boost of motivation that says, ‘you built your own business, and you’re an entrepreneurial badass.” It’s all about how you feel. Not about how you look.
10. Spend Time Outside
While working from home is certainly better than working underneath corporate fluorescent bulbs all day, it can still keep you trapped inside if you let it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that improving physical and mental wellness are just two of the many benefits of spending time outside. So take a break and go for a walk, or bring your laptop with you and write by the pool, the beach, the lake, or the dog park. Whatever you do, enjoy the sun and some fresh air every once and a while.
11. Save Editing for Last
Editing is part of a freelance writer’s job, and there’s no getting around it. But maybe push it off until the end? Editing as you write can significantly slow down your writing. And when you’re struggling to stay focused, that can really hurt your progress.
Instead of editing the paragraph you just wrote, keep writing and move on to the next paragraph. I promise that paragraph will be there when you return, but your workflow and concentration may not.
Here are some things I do to prepare for future edits without risking my momentum:
- Highlight a section you want to rewrite or revisit
- Bold a section you want to emphasize or keep for the final draft
- Think you know of a good link or research to include here? Write “LINK” in all caps and come back to it.
Not sure what comes next? Write “SOMETHING HAPPENS HERE” in all caps and move to a section you’re ready to write about right now. (I think I got this from Erica Schneider on Twitter.)
12. Break Down Your Tasks
Try breaking your task down into more manageable pieces, no matter how large or small it is. For example, if you’re writing a blog post, break it down into SEO research, outlining, drafting, editing, and submitting for approval. Nothing feels better than highlighting something in my planner (that’s how I mark it complete). Giving yourself more wins to celebrate can keep you focused on a task for longer. Just don’t go crazy and take 15-minute breaks for every minor accomplishment.
13. Find a Freelance Friend
If all else fails, sometimes finding a friend or mentor to hold you accountable will help you stay focused on your writing projects. The good thing is that most people are familiar with Zoom and FaceTime post-pandemic, so your freelance friend doesn’t have to be in person. Connect with people online or in your local area, and schedule a meeting to work on separate tasks while physically (or digitally) together. With the mutual understanding that you’re both to remain focused, you’ll be much more motivated to avoid distractions and get meaningful work done.
Bonus tip
There you have it! 13 ways to stay focused as a freelancer. I hope some of these tips help you accomplish your goals. And let me know, is there anything you’d add to this list? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Bonus Tip: Find the right playlist for writing or work. I have a detailed list of 40 playlists perfect for freelancers. You’ll find playlists on multiple platforms, with lyrics and without. My favorite is BEATstrumentals on Apple Music. Check it out!
2 thoughts on “How to Stay Focused as a Freelancer (13 Ways)”
Great tips
Great and helpful tips on ways to stay focused as a freelancer. I’m hoping to freelance full time soon – these are fabulous suggestions!
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