Contract Worker - Freelancing Experiences

Bad Freelancing Habits and How to Break Them

by Rico on June 7th, 2008

With no boss stereotypically breathing down their respective necks, freelancers enjoy the benefits—and challenges—of flexibility.

Productivity can be a premium for freelancers because of this very reason, especially if they suffer from any or all of the following bad habits:

Giving in to Distractions. It’s already two hours into the work day, but you haven’t gotten anything done. After all, you had to answer the phone, reply to people IMing you, and
Solution: Set up a work environment that’s free from distractions. Failing that, learn how to politely defer requests to a more convenient time, and tune-out interruptions.

Not Planning Properly. Halfway into a project, you realize you need this, and this, and that. So now you have to break your creative flow and stop working as you waste time locating and acquiring what you need.
Solution: Budget more time for planning. Ironically, taking more time to prepare means less time spent doing.

Deviating From a Plan. Halfway into a project, you realize that you should be doing this, not that. So now you have break your creative flow at best and start over from scratch at worst, wasting time in the process.
Solution: Make a strong effort to plan properly (see above).

Maintaining Poor Client Relations. Things might start out well between you and a client, but into the project, you’re irritating each other with delays, badly-worded emails, and the famous “creative differences”.
Solution: Always try to look at situations from your client’s point-of-view. Empathy is always a great way to maintain good relations with anyone, so only deal with clients who also make an effort to understand you.

Undercharging. Desperate for money, you decide to write that 1,000-word article for only $10. Congratulations! You’ve become a modern sweatshop worker!
Solution: Your asking price should not only pay for your work expenses (electricity, internet connection, etc.) but for a decent living as well.

Do you have other bad freelancing habits and what you can do to break them?

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POSTED IN: Living as a Freelancer