Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it
Ah, the holy grail for any freelancer – that mythical unicorn known as the ‘work-life balance’.
People often say to me – “Oh it must be so wonderful working whenever you want!”, like it’s a simple process of turning on my PC when I feel like it and picking well-paid projects off an ever-blooming job tree (I wish).
It rarely works like that for anyone running their own business or working for themselves. In reality, I’m avoiding emails, juggling deadlines around the latest germs sent home from nursery, and occasionally wondering when I last saw the outside world.
But while freelancing can be chaotic at times, it doesn’t mean you have to work long hours, cave into every client demand or kiss goodbye to weekends. Freelancing SHOULD give you more flexibility to create a lifestyle that suits you while fulfilling client needs.
If you’re struggling to get the balance right, here are some easy ways to take control and improve things.
Living around work vs. working around life
If you’re like me, ‘working around life’ often turns into ‘life happening around clients’, where the lines blur faster than a 90s music video.
Put some effort into separating tasks that NEED to be done at specific times (like school pick-ups or scheduled client calls) from those that can be done flexibly. If you can plot these out, and then carefully consider how you fit everything else around them, you’ll start to form a better picture of how your schedule can work better for you.
You’re never going to enjoy the freelance lifestyle if you always feel like you should be doing something else (like putting the washing on just because you’re at home), but good organisation and structure create more time in your schedule.
Are your working hours right for you?
Let’s talk about working hours, because as a freelancer, the shackles of the 9 to 5 grind may no longer apply. Have you structured your working day to suit you? For those with flexibility, think about when you’d like to work, but also when you work best (i.e. your peak productivity time). If you’re someone who heads to the gym or catches up with family in the morning, because you feel more creative in the afternoon and evenings, that’s fine! You don’t have to follow conventional hours.
I often found my weekdays were swallowed up with work and motherhood, and my weekends were for family and other plans, leaving me approximately zero hours for ‘me time’. I needed more hours for things like a spot of gardening, catching up on a binge-worthy boxset, having a day for obliterating the endless to-do list or pursuing a few other writing projects. So, I now experiment with different hours and scaled back workloads to see how I can improve the balance.
Just remember – the point is to make your schedule work for you, not the other way around. Sometimes even a few small tweaks can make a massive difference.
Taking time off
Now if you’re thinking – “Time off? What’s that??”, you’re not alone in the freelancing world.
Those who run their own business often feel like they don’t have the privilege of time off. But if you don’t, you risk burnout, which for me looks like screaming into pillows on the daily or taking six weeks to get over a cold. Dedicated time away from working is essential to most people’s mental health (and spoiler – the world doesn’t implode when you do!).
Questions to ask yourself:
- Are you forgoing a break because you REALLY can’t, or is it because you won’t? Freelancing is never enjoyable if you’re ‘running on empty’, so if feel guilty about taking time away from your work, think of it as a space to recharge so you can produce better results when you return.
- Can you afford time off? If not, can you factor this into your rates? If you can create more of a safety net, it will compensate for any income lost when you can’t accept new copywriting work. (PRO TIP: I take the same wage every month – even after highly-paid projects, so I have funds built up for low-income months).
- What will happen to your work? I always let clients know in advance of any breaks I have planned and send courtesy reminders along the way so that they won’t forget (because believe me, they do). In fact, when I first inform them, I usually nudge them to put it in their calendars and make it clear when the last day I can accept work is, when I’ll be returning and that I’ll be unavailable during my break.
- Set your out-of-office for all those who forget you’re away and new clients who may get in touch. I also record a fresh voicemail on my work mobile when I’m on leave so that anyone who calls me knows when I’ll get back to them. Think of these actions like having a personal assistant covering for you while you’re away.
Separating work from home
When you work from home and freelance, it can be a breeding ground for distractions. My typing is often accompanied by the whirl of the washing machine in the background, not to mention interruptions from the postman and number 53 (“No, I haven’t taken in your meat delivery by mistake!”). Blurring the lines is a trap every single one of us falls into, so you’re not alone.
Take time to recognise what’s causing you unnecessary stress. Do you need a dedicated space for work? Have you set clear boundaries for yourself about when you communicate with clients? Are you distracted by your personal phone when working? You won’t find a solution until you acknowledge where the problem lies.
Streamline your services (aka ‘Do Less, Earn More’)
Let’s be real, not every task is worth your time. If it’s not what you’re paid to do or doesn’t give you sparks of joy, cut it.
I consistently review my processes to give me more time for the things that matter. What tasks do you carry out that aren’t necessary? I’ve worked hard to cut back on those that aren’t part of what I’m paid for and don’t help achieve better outcomes.
Achieving the right balance between your work-life and personal time takes patience, but you should never become complacent. Conduct regular reviews of the advice above to ensure you’re doing what you can to be happy.