{"id":6827,"date":"2020-07-01T23:31:47","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T19:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/?p=6827"},"modified":"2024-07-04T15:36:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T11:36:55","slug":"self-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/self-management\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Master Self-Management as a Freelancer (10 Proven Tips)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me guess: You wanted to become a freelancer so you could be your own boss, right? While a big perk of freelancing is the autonomy that it brings\u2014with great freedom, comes great responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve been self-employed since 2013, and for the first two years of my business, with no prior entrepreneurial experience, I felt like I was moving from chaos to chaos. What was missing from my <\/span>freelance life<\/span><\/a> was not talent nor clients nor drive. What was missing was the ability to manage myself. I didn\u2019t know <\/span>how<\/span><\/i> to be my own boss.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you want to succeed as a freelancer, mastering self-management is crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Self-Management?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s the Cambridge Dictionary definition of self-managed: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cmaking your own decisions about how to organize your work, rather than being led or controlled by a manager.\u201d<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When you\u2019re a freelancer, you don\u2019t have a manager; you <\/span>are <\/span><\/i>your manager. One way to master self-management is to ask yourself, \u201cWhat would a good boss do?\u201d If you spent time as an employee before going freelance, it could help to think about the managers you had. What qualities did you appreciate about them? How did they help your career? Take note of these things, and then <\/span>be<\/span><\/i> that good boss to yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For many of us, self-management won\u2019t come naturally. The good thing is, there are ways you can practice it until it becomes second nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

10 Ways to Master Self-Management as a Freelancer<\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Know your values.<\/span><\/h3>\n

During the branding process, every company takes the time to define its core values. Why? Because values drive decisions. To self-manage well, you need to know <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s an example of how a core value can influence a decision: Let\u2019s say you decide that one of your core values is \u201cFamily first.\u201d One day, a huge opportunity comes through\u2014a client wants to pay you an extra $10,000 on the rush delivery of a major project. But there\u2019s one complication: You already had a week-long family vacation planned for the same timeframe. That means you have to choose between canceling the family vacation or declining the amazing project. If you stick to your core value, the decision is easy: decline the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Values help you prioritize and stay true to who you are. If you don\u2019t know what your values are, you\u2019ll struggle with making business decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Define your goals.<\/span><\/h3>\n

In the same vein of values, you also need to define your goals. What do you hope to accomplish in your freelance business? This, too, will help you make decisions and ensure you feel fulfilled in your career.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Is your goal to start as a freelance graphic designer and eventually scale to a six-figure design agency? Or is your goal to have a lifestyle business in which you stay small and make just enough to fund a comfortable lifestyle?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Where you hope to end up will dictate which steps you take.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Stick to a work schedule or routine.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Freelancing can be chaotic enough without the added instability of having no work schedule. Remember, you don\u2019t have a boss holding you accountable. If you wanted to sleep till noon, roll out of bed, and spend an hour playing video games\u2014you could. But, that doesn\u2019t mean you should.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Developing <\/span>good habits<\/span><\/a> is key to self-management. And one way to develop good habits around time management is to create a <\/span>work from home schedule<\/span><\/a> or routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Create a project management system.<\/span><\/h3>\n

As your freelance business grows and you\u2019re juggling multiple clients and deadlines, you\u2019ll need a project management system to stay sane and professional. You can use to-do lists, physical planners (the Productivity Planner is one of my favorites), or even <\/span>project management software<\/span><\/a> such as HoneyBook, Asana, or Dubsado.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As a freelance writer, I find that planning my assignments one month in advance works well. I use Trello, a Kanban-style app, along with its Calendar Power-Up to map out my assigned articles and their due dates. I like the visual drag-and-drop style of Trello\u2019s lists, where I can move an article from \u201cassigned\u201d to \u201cin progress\u201d to \u201csubmitted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Experiment with different project management systems until you find the one that works best for you and your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Check in with yourself.<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s common for supervisors to have one-on-ones with their subordinates. This is their chance to review goals and progress and address any concerns. To master self-management, you need to check in with yourself. This can be on a weekly, monthly, or even quarterly basis.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some solo business owners even set aside a couple of days for an annual business retreat during which they review their goals, see how they measured up, and plan for the coming year.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Track your time.<\/span><\/h3>\n

You can\u2019t master <\/span>time management<\/span><\/a> if you don\u2019t know exactly how you\u2019re spending your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I use Toggl to track every second I spend on my freelance business. The app generates weekly, monthly, even yearly reports, so I can analyze how I use my time and where I can better optimize it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Time-tracking reports are essential when you\u2019re creating quotes for proposals. You need to know how much time certain projects take you on average. If you don\u2019t know and you underestimate, you\u2019ll end up charging too little.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Ask for feedback from clients.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Since you won\u2019t have performance reviews like you would as an employee, your next best chance at self-awareness and growth is to ask for feedback from your clients. I find that the best time to do this is immediately after completing a project so it\u2019s still fresh on the client\u2019s mind. It can be as simple as an email that asks:<\/span><\/p>\n

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