THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2007Time management expert: Multi-tasking can inhibit freelancers' productivity
by Jeremy Schnitker |
| Babauta |
In today's working environment, the ability to multi-task is considered an essential trait. But when it comes to being a freelancer, time management expert Leo Babauta says multi-tasking might not actually be a good thing.
Babauta, a frequent contributor to
FreelanceSwitch.com and author of the
Zen Habits blog, said that often times trying to do more than one thing at once can lead to unnecessary distractions. The key to being productive, he said, is having a focused routine and sticking to it.
"Have a block or two of time you set aside every day for freelance work, and make that time sacred - don't do email, IM, talk on the phone, surf the web or do anything but the work you need to do," he said.
Babauta said it also helps to break down a project into easy-to-accomplish pieces.
"Just focus on one sub-task at a time, breaking it down into something you can do in 15-20 minutes. That way it's achievable, and you can knock it out quickly."
When you're a freelancer, and your productivity depends largely on your level of motivation, it also doesn't hurt to find work that you really enjoy doing. Babauta admits this isn't a luxury which every soloist can afford, but it's a goal worth striving towards.
"We have to take whatever work we can get, to pay the bills of course, but over time, you should steer towards work you really enjoy."
One of the biggest productivity obstacles soloists must deal with, especially if they work from home, is the family. How do you get work done when the kids are running around?
"Work when they're sleeping!" he said. "I like to work early in the morning, before the kids wake up, and also at night, after they go to bed. But during the day, I tell them not to bother daddy when I'm working, and then I just zone out everything else and focus. It's not easy, though, because my three-year-old loves to ask me questions."
Not all freelancers are full-time. Many are still working 9-to-5 during the day and doing their freelance side projects at night. Babauta, who is a part-time freelancer, touches on the topic of working on your freelance assignments while at the day job. He says it's a touchy issue.
"I've been honest about this with my employer and we have an agreement - as long as I get my work done, he's happy. But others may not have that convenience. If you have a boss that will allow it, be up front. If they think they can get away with it without telling the boss and still get their work done ... well, I won't make a recommendation. But if doing freelance work at your day job is a viable option, I think it's an excellent idea."
Babauta was once a full-time soloist, and said that even he struggled with the transition from having a structured work life to one that afforded him lots of freedom.
"I know it wasn't easy for me to make that transition, there's too much freedom, too much temptation not to work," he said. "However, if I knew now the things I knew then, and had the same kind of work habits then that I do now, I think it would have been much easier. So I think the key is learning the right work habits and techniques and actually turning them into habits."
Filed Under:
Admin 
