Being your own boss is awesome, isn’t it? No alarm clocks, no commute — and you can work in your pajamas. But guess what — when you’re a freelancer, time can get away from you like grains of sand between your fingers. One minute you’re responding to an email, then suddenly it’s 3 p.m., and that project due tomorrow still isn’t done.
Time management doesn’t depend on just organizing more work into your day. It’s about ensuring you have time for everything that really matters — your clients, your personal life and yes, even Netflix. The good news? You don’t need any fancy apps or a business degree to become better at managing your time. With a couple of easy hacks and the proper attitude, you can own your schedule and even love freelancing.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of those realistic, actionable formulas that might actually do the trick. Whether you’re just beginning on your freelance journey or if you’ve been freelancing for years, these tips will help you work smarter, rather than harder.
When You Freelance, the World Is Your Office. Why Does It Feel So Hard?
Before we get to solutions, however, let’s take a moment to consider why time management as a freelancer is unique compared with other types of jobs.
Your whole life when you have a job, or I guess any type of responsibility, really, because who can understand what it feels like to have zero responsibilities and all the free time in the world not even people who have had jobs but retired nope around-the-clock extra funtimes anyway your schedule is determined by someone else. Your boss assigns you tasks and timelines. But as a freelancer, you are the boss, worker, accountant and sometimes even janitor. You’re handling several clients, a variety of deadlines and trying to drum up work — at the same time.
And best of all, there’s no one standing over your shoulder. It’s a good freedom to have, but it also means you are more likely to be distracted. Perhaps you “just for a minute” start scrolling through social media, or spend an hour cleaning and organizing your desk when what you should really be doing is working on that article.
Another challenge? Your work is also your home. Your couch, which you take naps on and watch shows from, should also be the place where you get things done. It’s like dieting when you live in a candy store.
Set Up Your Day Like a Pro
The top freelancers don’t wing it. They have a plan. But rest assured — you don’t have to plan every minute of your day like a robot. You just need some structure.
Start With a Morning Routine
How the morning goes dictates the rest of your day. If you leap out of bed and check your phone straight away, then you’re living by other people’s needs from the get-go. Instead, design a routine that helps get you in the proper head space.
This could be as simple as:
- A chat, a run — something to shake out the sillies and get some blood pumping through the veins.
- Drinking water or coffee
- Some light workout or stretching
- Reading through your day’s plan
The key is consistency. Your brain knows it’s time to work when you do the same things every morning.
Pick Your Three Big Wins
Here’s a game-changer: Every day, in the morning, write down three things that you absolutely must do for that particular day. Not ten things. Not a huge list. Just three.
Why three? Because it’s realistic. Just seeing 15 tasks on the page will make you feel overwhelmed before you even pick one to start. But three tasks? That’s doable. And after you finish them, you’ll feel like a champ.
These are supposed to be your highest-value activities — the ones that directly advance your business or delight a client. Everything else is just perks.
Time Block Your Calendar
Time blocking is the practice of assigning specific blocks of time to specific activities. Instead of “I’ll work on the website next,” it’s “Website work: 10 AM – 12 PM.”
The following is what a standard time-blocked day might look like:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 9:00 AM | Morning routine and planning |
| 9:00 – 11:00 AM | Deep work on biggest project |
| 11:00 – 11:30 AM | Break, lunch prep |
| 11:30 AM – 1 PM | Client calls and emails |
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch break |
| 2:00 – 4:00 PM | Deep work or smaller tasks |
| 4:00 – 5:00 PM | Admin work and business tasks |
| 5:00 PM onward | Personal time |
See all those pauses I’ve built in? That’s not lazy — it’s smart. Your brain needs rest to function properly.
Tackle the Big Stuff First
And then there is the well-worn phrase: “Eat the frog first.” It’s about tackling your toughest task, or most essential task first thing in the morning, when your energy is at its peak.
Why does this work? But we all have only so much willpower each day. Your brain gets tired as the day goes on, and as you make more decisions, your ability to make good decisions starts declining. That’s why you have an easier time ordering pizza late at night than preparing a healthy meal: You’re not running at full capacity.
When you pound out your biggest, scariest task first thing in the day, everything else feels easier. Plus, you already know that even if the rest of your day goes sideways, you will have accomplished something significant.
The Two-Minute Rule
Here’s one more quick trick: If something takes fewer than two minutes, do it now. Don’t add it to your list of things to do. Don’t put it off. Just do it.
This applies to things like:
- Responding to a simple email
- Filing a document
- Scheduling an appointment
- Sending a quick invoice
The small tasks that pile up on you and suddenly make your list look scary. By dealing with them immediately, you clear the mental space for bigger work.
Create Boundaries That Actually Stick
The No. 1 mistake freelancers make is to never stop working. When your office is also your home, the line between work and leisure gets even blurrier (10 PM can be an awfully tempting time to “just check email,” or weekends “just to get ahead”).
Don’t do this. Seriously. It’s a trap.
Set Clear Working Hours
Determine when your workday starts and ends, and stick to it. You don’t have to do 9-to-5 if that’s not your life. Perhaps you’re most effective from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Or perhaps you’re a night person who does your best work from lunchtime until 8 p.m. That’s fine! The point is to keep similar hours.
Let your clients know when you are available. You can say something along these lines, “I respond to emails and accept phone calls only from 9 AM – 5 PM Monday through Friday. Let me get back to you within 24 hours during the week.”
Most clients will respect this. And the ones who don’t? Well then those are perhaps not the clients you want anyway.
Create a Dedicated Workspace
If you can, carve out a specific place where you work. It doesn’t have to be a fancy home office — even a corner of your kitchen table will suffice. The important thing is, this spot is ONLY for work.
When you go there and sit, your brain knows it’s time for work. Work is done when you leave that spot. This mental distancing is super important for preserving focus and preventing burnout.
Learn to Say No
That’s the hard part, especially when you’re young and need money. But yes-ing your way through everything is a disaster waiting to happen.
There are times when you need to say no to projects because:
- The timeline is too tight
- The pay is too low
- You’re already at capacity
- It’s not the kind of work you want to do
Remember: Every time you say yes to something that is not a good fit, you are saying no to something better that might be coming.
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Use Technology to Your Advantage
You don’t need a million apps but there are a few good tools that can make your life so much easier.
Project Management Tools
Something like Trello, Asana or Notion helps to keep track of what you’re working on. You can make boards for each client, add deadlines and drag tasks from “to-do” to “done.” I think I’m a check-it-off person; there’s something gratifying about ticking things off.
Time Tracking Apps
Services like Toggl or Clockify allow you to track how much time you spend on various tasks. It is helpful for two reasons:
- It will show you where your time is really going (you may be shocked!)
- You have accurate records if you bill by the hour.
Even if you’re not billing by the hour, tracking your time helps you know how long tasks actually take. Perhaps you assume it takes two hours to write a blog post, when in fact it requires four. Knowing that can help you plan better.
Calendar Apps
Use Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or whatever your digital calendar of choice is to plan everything. And I do mean all of it — work blocks, meetings, the break times and even “thinking time.”
Create reminders so you don’t miss deadlines or calls. Your brain has more important things to do than trying to retain items like that you have a client call at 2 PM on Thursday.
Automation Tools
As frustrating as it is, there are still original tasks to work on:
- Leverage email templates for standard responses
- Set up automatic invoicing
- Utilize schedulers like Calendly that allow clients to request time with you without the back and forth
- Develop templates of proposals that you can easily customize
Every minute you shave off your admin is a minute saved towards actual billable work (or friend time).
Defeat Procrastination Before It Defeats You
Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of procrastinating from time to time. The issue is how to respond to it.
Figure Out Why You’re Procrastinating
Procrastination typically isn’t even about being lazy. There’s a reason behind it:
- The task seems too daunting or overwhelming
- You don’t know where to start
- You’re scared of messing it up
- The task is boring
- It is really that you are burned out and need rest
Once you understand the “why,” you can address it.
Break Large Projects Into Tiny Steps
If a job feels too big, break it into smaller parts. Instead of “Write 2,000-word article,” think the following:
- Do research (30 minutes)
- Create outline (15 minutes)
- Write introduction (20 minutes)
- Write first section (30 minutes)
And so on…
Suddenly it’s not one scary monster — now it’s a series of little tasks you can totally handle.
Use the Pomodoro Technique
It’s an extremely simple, but really nice method:
- Set a timer for 25 minutes
- Concentrate on a single task at a time
- When the timer dings, take a 5 minute break
- Repeat
- After four rounds take a longer pause (15-30 minutes)
It works because 25 minutes feels doable, even for anything you hate. And knowing a break is on its way can help you better keep your eye on the ball.
Change Your Environment
Sometimes you really need a change of pace. If you’re stuck, try:
- Working from a coffee shop
- Bringing your laptop to a library
- Sitting in a different room
- Walking and then returning to work
A new setting can refresh your brain and provide you with renewed energy.
Batch Similar Tasks Together
Your brain is more efficient when it isn’t forced to constantly switch from one type of work to another. This is why batch work actually works.
Instead of answering emails all day long (which breaks up your flow every time), check during certain times only, say 10AM, 1PM and 4PM. Reply to all at once and then shut your email.
Other things you can batch:
- Keep drafts of your own social media posts (Come up with a week worth at a time)
- Invoices (do all your invoices on Friday afternoon)
- Client calls (I’m sure you can schedule them within the same days)
- Content creation (write couple blog posts in one pass)
When you do batch tasks, you become very rhythmic and work so much faster.
Take Care of Yourself (Yes, Actually)
This may not seem like a piece of time management advice, but it is. Everything takes so much longer when you’re tired, stressed or burned out! Self-care is actually one of the smartest business decisions you can make.
Get Enough Sleep
Listen, listen — I know everybody says it. But it’s true. When you haven’t slept enough, your brain operates more slowly, you make more mistakes and it’s easier to get distracted. What could take you two hours when you are rested might take four hours while exhausted.
Aim for 7-8 hours. And yes, that does include getting in bed — really in bed, not scrolling on your phone.
Move Your Body
You don’t have to become a gym rat, but regular physical activity helps your brain function better. Even a 15-minute walk can get your creative juices flowing.
Some workers rely on movement as a respite from different activities. Finish writing? Do 10 minutes of stretching. Done with a client call? If you can manage it, walk once around the block.
Eat Actual Food
Eating at your desk or nibbling on junk food all day may feel like time-saving measures, but they’re really time wasters. Your brain requires fuel to operate at its best.
Take a real lunch break. Step away from your computer. Consume something other than sugar and caffeine. You will return more sharply focused.
Schedule Breaks and Time Off
Breaks aren’t being lazy—they’re essential. There’s only so long you can make your brain work that hard before it needs to recharge.
Snatched in short bursts all day. And actually take days off. You know, weekends? Remember those?
Freelancing without a break would be like driving across the country without refueling. When you do, eventually you run out and end up stuck at the side of the road.
Review and Adjust Your System
What works for you may not work for the next person. And what works today may not work in six months. That’s okay! The trick is to listen and adapt.
Do Weekly Reviews
Each Friday (or any other day you choose), take 15 minutes to reflect on your week:
- What went well?
- What was harder than expected?
- Did you nail your big goals?
- What has taken longer than you had hoped?
- What will you do differently next week?
This is not about beating yourself up. It’s about learning and improving.
Track Your Patterns
Notice when you’re most productive. Are you a morning or a night person? Does exercise make you more productive? Does looking at social media in the morning throw your whole day off?
Once you’re aware of your tendencies, you can create a schedule that accommodates them rather than battles them.
Be Willing to Change
If it’s not working, do something different. Perhaps time blocking seems too stifling for you, so you experiment with a simpler to-do list. Perhaps the Pomodoro Technique is too stressful and you can only focus for longer stretches.
There is no one “right” way to make the most of time. The right way is what works best for YOU in terms of getting stuff done, enjoying life without your family losing patience, and not going crazy.
Build Systems for Recurring Tasks
As a freelancer, there are things you do over and over. So rather than re-solving the same problems all the time, build systems.
Client Onboarding
Create a new client checklist:
- Send welcome email
- Get project details and access
- Create project folder
- Schedule kickoff call
- Set up tracking and invoicing
Simply apply the checklist each time you land a new client. No thinking required.
Project Workflow
Establish a standard procedure for protocol on projects from point A to point B. For an example, if you are a writer:
- Research and create outline
- Write first draft
- Let it sit for a day
- Edit and revise
- Send to client
- Make revisions if needed
- Send final version and invoice
When you have a system, there’s less time spent every day on “what comes next.”
Templates for Everything
Create templates for:
- Proposals
- Contracts
- Invoices
- Email responses
- Project deliverables
You can customize them for every client but don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time. This can save me hours in a year.
Deal With Distractions Head-On
Let’s be honest — distractions are all around when you work remotely from home. Your phone buzzes. The doorbell rings. Your roommate wants to chat. The laundry needs doing.
Silence the Digital Noise
When you are working, put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Close unnecessary browser tabs. Disable notifications for email and social media. Institute website blockers if you must — apps like Freedom or Cold Turkey can block distracting sites during work hours.
And if you have to keep your phone because of work, at least turn off the notifications for things that aren’t urgent.
Communicate With Others
If you share living space with others, make sure they know what your work hours are. You can place a sign on your door that says “Working — please don’t disturb” or put on headphones as an indication that you are in focus mode.
Most people will respect your limits once you explain them. They’re not being rude; it’s just that they don’t know you’re in the middle of something important.
Identify Your Biggest Time Wasters
Everyone has different kryptonite. Maybe yours is YouTube. Or checking news websites. Or texting with friends. Or rearranging your bookshelf for the third time this week.
Identify what YOUR biggest time sucks are, and then make them less easy to access during work hours. Don’t just use willpower — use tools and systems to defend your focus.
Be Mindful of Outsourcing or Partnering Up
You can’t do everything yourself. At some point, having to manage every task becomes counterproductive to good time management.
Outsource the Time-Consuming Stuff
Consider hiring help for:
- Bookkeeping and taxes
- Website maintenance
- Social media management
- Administrative tasks
Yes, this costs money. But if you’re spending five hours a week on bookkeeping when you could be billing clients for those hours of work, then you’re actually losing money.
Run the numbers: If you charge $50 an hour and use five hours to do things that for $100 you could pay someone else to do, you’re out $150 ($250 that would have been in your pocket minus the $100 it cost to delegate).
Partner With Other Freelancers
Network with other freelancers in related fields. If you’re a writer, get to know designers and developers. If you’re a web designer, hook up with copywriters and SEO pros.
When a client needs something you can’t provide, you can refer them to your network (and they’ll do the same for you). You may even take on larger projects together.
Plan for the Unexpected
Life happens. Clients fall ill and can’t answer the phone. Projects get delayed. Your internet goes out. You wake up with a cold.
Build in Buffer Time
Do not book yourself so solid that a single delay wrecks your entire week. And guests, be sure to have some air in your social calendar for:
- Anything that drags on
- Last-minute client requests
- Technical problems
- Your own sick days or other personal time
A good rule of thumb: If you think something will take two hours, block off three. You’ll either reach it early (YAY!) or do with that extra block of time without the worry.
Have Backup Plans
What’s your backup if:
- Your internet goes down? (Find a coffee shop or library with wifi, or invest in a mobile hotspot.)
- Your computer crashes? (Regular backups to the cloud)
- You get sick? (Know what deadlines could be extended and how to communicate with clients)
- A client doesn’t pay on time? (Emergency fund that should be used for a month or two’s expenses)
Not that you have to be paranoid, but with a simple backup plan in place, when things go wrong they don’t come along with undue stress.
Find Your Own Rhythm
Here’s the deal: Time management, as a freelancer, is about personal preference. What works for your productivity guru of the month probably won’t work for you. And that’s okay.
Some of us live for a tight itinerary. Others need more flexibility. Some are most effective when used only for short bursts. Others prefer long, focused sessions. Some are morning people. Others are night owls.
The strategies in this piece are devices in a toolkit. Try them out. Keep what works. Ditch what doesn’t. The secret is to mix and match to develop a system that fits YOUR life and YOUR brain.
We don’t want to become productivity robots, sucking every last empty second out of each day. The idea is to do good work, serve your clients well, make a living and still have the time and energy for the rest of your life.
Because, after all is said and done, you went freelance for freedom. Don’t allow horrid time management to rob you of that liberty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours a day should a freelancer work?
It’s not like there’s a magic number, but in general most freelancers who are successful work somewhere between 6-8 hours of actual focused work per day. And that doesn’t even account for breaks, administration or learning time. Quality matters more than quantity. It might feel more productive to clock working 12-hour days, but if you are physically and mentally drained and making mistakes, you’re not doing yourself or your clients any favors. Identify a pace you can sustain that allows you to do your best work without burning out.
Good work habits: What’s the no. 1 mistake you see freelancers make when it comes to time management?
Not setting boundaries. A lot of freelancers get sucked into the 24/7 cycle, answering emails at midnight, working weekends. It sounds so professional, but inevitably causes burnout and low-quality work. Establish set working hours, take days off and teach your clients when they can expect to hear from you. Good clients will respect this.
Do I need time tracking if I don’t bill hourly?
Yes! Even if you bill based on projects, time tracking reveals how long tasks truly take. This will allow you to price future projects more accurately, and figure out where you might be wasting your time. Maybe you’ll realize that, in fact, you spend two hours a day on email. Or certain types of projects take far longer than you’d have assumed. This stuff is gold for making you more efficient.
How can I motivate myself working by myself?
Mix things up. Work from different locations occasionally. Plan virtual co-working hours with other freelancers. Connect with online communities where you can celebrate wins and commiserate over struggles. Establish personal rewards for finishing larger projects. And remember why you wanted to be a freelancer in the first place — write it down and read it whenever motivation falters. And be mindful that you’re taking care of the fundamentals, such as getting enough sleep and eating well, too. It’s difficult to stay motivated when you’re completely tapped out.
What happens if I miss deadlines?
First off, tell your client right away— not after the deadline has come and gone. Be transparent about the situation; offer a new timetable. Most clients value honesty, and will be willing to work with you if you’re upfront. And then understand what wasn’t working. Did you underestimate how long it would take? Get distracted? Take on too much? Take it as a lesson to help you plan and estimate better in the future.
How can I stop working at night and on weekends?
Begin by establishing a hard stop time and indeed stopping — shut your computer, put away your work things. Disable work notifications on your phone after business hours. Plan something fun for after work or on weekends that you anticipate. And that’s the magic: Charge enough so you don’t have to work crazy hours. If you’re regularly working nights and weekends in order to make ends meet, you may need to charge more for your work or seek out higher-paying clients.
Is it okay to take breaks throughout the work day?
Absolutely not! It’s crucial to take breaks in order to stay focused and creative. Your brain is not built to keep up intense focus for eight hours. It does make you more productive overall to take those little breaks. The trick is to take well-meaning breaks (stand up, walk around, give your eyes a break), not be distracted by social media. Good breaks leave you restored; distractions drain you.
What should I do if I have more than one client who needs it by a certain date?
Be sure to use a good project management system or tracking system, or calendar where you can see all of your projects and deadlines in one place. Work on in order of urgency and importance. Set expectations with your clients realistically from the beginning—try not to tell them everything you do will be complete tomorrow. And tell the truth when you’re full up. Better to say no to a project than to do a half-assed, shitty job or miss deadlines altogether.
