Freelancers are not bound to many constraints compared to employed professionals. As individuals who work for themselves rather than a company, freelancers normally adhere to their own time, rules, and ways of working. But even though their work arrangement may seem simple and comfortable, a working environment with just a few self-imposed restrictions may lead to them forming bad habits, including procrastinating.
There are a number of reasons why freelancers are prone to procrastination.
Complacency
Being a freelancer means having a flexible schedule. You have the privilege to freely choose when and how to work, making you think that you have all of the time in the world to do your daily tasks, meet your clients, and finish your jobs.
If you keep being complacent about your work arrangement, having a flexible schedule that adjusts to meet your preferences may lead you to push back deadlines instead of finishing your tasks on time. If you are not abiding by your own deadlines, you will end up having too much on your plate which may cause you to rush the work your clients gave you.
Having vague goals
Freelancers are prone to procrastination when they have vague goals. If an individual does not have concrete and clearly defined goals, he or she might only go in circles and fail to achieve his or her desired outcomes since there are no specific objectives.
In addition to this, freelancers also start procrastinating when the goals they have set seem unattainable. When a freelancer thinks that it is improbable to reach a certain goal, he or she may put it off for a while until he or she finds the motivation to do it, which in turn can increase the chance that he or she will procrastinate doing it.
Demotivating Psychological Factors
Some of the root causes of procrastination are a number of demotivating psychological factors. These demotivating psychological factors may include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Anxiety
- Fear of negative feedback
- Fear of failure
- Laziness
- Lack of energy
- Having low self-esteem
If the mental health of an individual is not in the best state, it will most likely affect the way he or she performs his or her duties. When this occurs, the individual may easily experience physical and psychological exhaustion, making him or her procrastinate and put off tasks.
Here are tips on how freelancers can efficiently finish their work and avoid procrastination.
Utilizing digital tools
Some freelancers tend to procrastinate because they might find a task daunting, complex, and time-consuming. By utilizing the following digital tools, they will be able to work much more efficiently and improve their productivity.
There are many digital tools freelancers can utilize, from communication applications to project management tools.
A PDF editor is one of the useful digital tools a freelancer can utilize if he or she would like to avoid procrastinating. A PDF editor is a tool that can help a freelancer open and edit electronic documents. Instead of keeping heaps of paper stacked on his or her desk and writing on them manually, a freelancer can use a PDF editor to edit, collaborate with others, and share documents online. This will help freelancers maintain a neat and organized workplace, which in turn can make them feel more eager to work on their tasks for the day.
Another digital tool freelancers can utilize are electronic signature applications. An electronic signature, or e-signature, is the digital version of a traditional ink-on-paper signature. Freelancers who utilize electronic signature applications will be able to manage their documents and transactions easily, giving them more time to work on other important projects.
By utilizing these digital tools, freelancers will not have to push back deadlines.
Prioritize important tasks
To avoid procrastination, a freelancer must be able to prioritize his or her tasks; a good way to rank your tasks based on importance and urgency is to make a list. By listing all of the tasks you need to do for the day, you will be able to see those that are the most necessary to complete and those you can do at a later time.
Once you have evaluated all of your tasks, you can now start working on the most important ones. Getting the most urgent and hardest tasks out of the way will give you more time to work on your other projects. Moreover, by listing your projects and having your priorities sorted out, you will be able to accomplish your objectives and get through the day without having to rush or push back any deadlines.
Improve daily habits and routines
Being able to have a flexible schedule is one of the many perks of being a freelancer, but along the way, you might start forming bad habits if you do not keep yourself on track.
In trying to improve your daily habits, it is best to pace yourself and do your objectives one at a time. If you try doing multiple tasks all at once in hopes of creating a new routine, you may always feel exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of each day. This can make you procrastinate even more. Slowly trying out one new routine at a time can do wonders for you 一 may it be creating a schedule for the whole week instead of one day only or setting your alarm earlier than usual.
Creating new routines and improving your daily habits will help you avoid procrastination. It can help improve your productivity, make you more efficient, and can get you into a proper work mindset.
Optimizing your work environment
Having a comfortable work environment is vital if you want to avoid procrastination. If you are feeling uncomfortable in your current workspace, you can start changing it up little by little. You can either go to other places like coffee shops or start rearranging your workspace at home to make it look and feel more pleasant for you. You can also optimize your work environment by investing in better equipment, such as an ergonomic chair, a wide desk, and a premium laptop.
If you are happy with your work environment, you will not be prone to procrastination since you are in a healthy headspace. This will help boost your productivity and help finish your tasks quickly.
Setting a reward system
Working without getting any rest or reward will eventually take a toll on your mental and physical health. This can lead to procrastination. Letting yourself rest or treating yourself with a reward after a long and strenuous task or project will surely make you feel better and more energized.
If you set up a reward system, make sure to do it in moderation. You must always keep your priorities straight and not rush your tasks just to receive your rewards.
Conclusion
Freelancers can try utilizing different digital tools, prioritize their daily tasks, improve their habits, optimize their work environments, and set up reward systems to avoid procrastination, boost their productivity, and make them more efficient.