Three years ago today, my calendar was booked solid with back-to-back-to-back web meetings, conference calls, and a face-to-face get together here and there. In between calls, I would add new takeaways to my to-do list. I blocked out time on the calendar to do work, but I still found myself working longer hours and making up time on the weekend. Ah, the glamourous life of a corporate marketer.
Now, here I am, embarking on my third year of working for myself. And, while I’m still figuring out how to make the most of my working hours, I wouldn’t trade my gig economy adventure or hard-won lessons in time management for anything.
First order of productivity: A reality check
I went into my new career chapter with an idealized vision of what a freelancer’s day looks like. What’s not to like about a calendar that’s driven by when you want to work and the work you want to do? As it turns out, plenty.
While my 20-some years of corporate life gave me an amazing ability to crank out email responses in 10-minute bursts and locate the best spot in an airport to get things done, I quickly discovered I didn’t know much about structuring a productive day when there were few, if any, meetings on my calendar.
Lesson learned: Parkinson’s Law is real
According to Parkinson’s Law, work expands to fill the time available for its completion. In my pre-freelance life, Parkinson’s Law would come into play when big projects kept getting squeezed for time because fire drills like emergency PowerPoint decks and budget forecasts had to be done first. The big project got done in the amount of time that was available.
As a new freelancer, I found myself spending loads of time on the first projects that came in the door simply because I had the time to spend. But here’s the thing, I really didn’t. I needed to allocate time to building my business and finding clients. Then, as the assignments rolled in, I literally couldn’t afford to spend three hours on a job that should take half the time.
That’s when I discovered Horstman’s Corollary to Parkinson’s Law. Basically, it flips Parkinson’s Law on its head: Work contracts to fill the time we give it. That sounds genius, but how do you harness the time you have available, optimize productivity, and still do high-quality work?
Next lesson: Less really can be more
Productivity study after productivity study proves that working longer hours doesn’t necessarily produce proportional results. When you restrict your work time, you can increase both productivity and focus. Of course, this isn’t new news. Tim Ferriss built an empire on the 4-hour workweek premise.
Still, Horstman’s Corollary was an ah-ha moment for me. As I continued to deprogram myself from years of too many meetings and, if I’m honest, minimal deep work, I started experimenting with different productivity hacks. I’ve found that time management and productivity are highly personal. And, when you find something that works for you, it can be life-changing. So, in that spirit, here are a few tips I picked up along the way.
1. Track your time.
As a freelancer, one of the most important things to understand is how much time tasks really take. For me, this means tracking my time. Week one into launching my business, I found myself building a tracking spreadsheet. Now, 776 days and counting later, I’m still using it every day.
I keep it open, noting the amount of time I spend on a project, managing my business, or marketing my services. At the end of the day, I can see it all – the good, the bad, and the unproductive.
By tracking my time, I’ve grown much more confident in estimating how much time a task will take and allocating the work time I have to ensure everything gets done. And, it has been satisfying to watch the ratio of billable to non-billable hours improve.
2. Practice single-tasking.
I’ll admit it. I’m a horrible multi-tasker. If I try to do two things at once, it doesn’t end well. Think sending a text to the completely wrong person. Or hearing your name mentioned on a conference call and realizing you have no idea what’s being discussed.
For me, productivity happens when I single task. The Pomodoro Technique is the best way I’ve found to productively single-task and keep up with multiple priorities. The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francisco Cirillo, who found that taking frequent breaks helps the mind focus. Using the Pomodoro Technique means setting a timer for 25 minutes, focusing on one thing until the time is up, and then taking a five-minute break. After four rounds of 25-minute tasks, you take a longer break. (Fun fact: Cirillo called it Pomodoro because he timed himself with a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato.)
Knowing I have a set amount of time to make progress on a project works for me. If another idea comes to mind that’s off-topic, I jot it down and return to my single-tasking. I typically work on a single project for three or four Pomodoro cycles and then switch to something else for a few rounds. And I always take the mini-breaks in between cycles. I check out social media. I play with my pup. Or I put a load of laundry in the washer. The day flies by, and I feel super productive at the end of it!
3. Break down the mega projects.
This one is a no brainer. When you break big projects into smaller chunks, it’s easier to get started. And getting started is always the hardest step for me.
I apply the Pomodoro approach here as well. I spend a 25-minute session wrapping my head around a project and breaking it out into steps. Then, I’ll spend the next 25 minutes brainstorming ideas. Surprisingly, brainstorming works really well for me when there’s a timer running. After chunking out the big project and doing a little brainstorming, I stop and do something else. For me, writing always comes easier after I let ideas ruminate. When I come back to it a few days later, my subconscious mind has done some of the heavy lifting, and the writing flows more freely.
Related: Blog writing tips: Put your subconscious mind to work
4. Make a list (and check it twice).
I admit it. I’m a list maker. I love writing down what needs to get done, and I LOVE checking things off as I complete them even more. I’ve even added finished things to a list just so I could check them off. Seriously.
As I’ve explored my productivity, I’ve come across some schools of thought that are anti-list. They say that to-do lists can become a way to put off the big stuff by always choosing to do the easier items. Or the lists get so long and overwhelming that people don’t do anything.
To that, I say, make a better list. I make a list for each day. It’s not crazy, but it is ambitious. I have a mix of eight to 12 things on the list, from the big ones to the easy little to-dos I don’t want to forget. The key is to avoid vague tasks by breaking things out as specifically as possible.
Then, I play a game that says I have to check off at least three big things every day. At the end of the day, before I carry over items to the next day’s list, I look for one more thing I can do before I shut down. Hey, it works for me!
5. For productivity’s sake, play hooky.
Productivity takes constant focus. Here’s my final tip. Sometimes when your mind is wandering, and your focus is gone, it’s not worth forcing it. Get up. Leave the computer behind. Go for a walk. Read a book. Run errands. Sometimes, giving yourself permission to do something non-work related in the middle of the day is the best way of all to reset your productivity.
Is creating content on your to-do list? Write Hand Ann can help you get it created, showcase your expertise, and drive business.
