5 strategies to improve your time management as a freelance writer
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
As a writer, one of the best ways to stay creative and productive is to take care of yourself.
Enter: time management.
Learning how to manage your time effectively is one of the best strategies for creative self-care as a freelance writer.
When we don’t manage our time, our schedules have a way of managing us. This leads to a work-life “balance” that tilts us toward being a burnt-out and worked-out human.
I’ve been a freelance writer for over seven years.
Let me tell you—for years, time management has never been in my top 10 skill set. It’s never even cracked the top 20.
I’ve spent several years working every weekend and staying up to 3am to meet looming deadlines. Spoiler: not a fun way to live your life!
Over the last year, I’ve worked on managing my time more efficiently.
I used to work any hours and all hours. Now, I’ve committed to a four-day work week. I work from Mondays to Thursdays, and I never work weekends.
I start work at 9am every day, have an hour break for lunch, and work until 3:30pm.
It’s a schedule that allows for me to be both productive and creative. Most critically, it’s a schedule that helps me live a life outside of work.
For me, life as a freelance writer is not about endless work hours.
It’s about having the freedom to choose your work hours—and to live a life that is centred on flexibility.
So, how do we get to that elusive work-life balance?
I discovered when I struggle to manage my time, it’s because I’m struggling with how to schedule my day, set meaningful priorities, and reflect on my habits with compassionate curiosity.
Creative work thrives within structures. Creative work flourishes when we prioritize it. And creative work energizes us when we approach it with a self-compassionate mindset.
This in-depth guide covers five time management strategies that have helped me as a freelance writer.
But here’s a gentle reminder: change is HARD.
I don’t recommend you dive into implementing every strategy straight away. Instead, bookmark this page. Start with one strategy at a time.
I suggest you use the handy table of contents below and see which strategy speaks to you the most. I’ve included actionable ideas with how I implement each one in my day-to-day freelance life.
Then, put those ideas into practice. Experiment! And remember - what works for me may not work for you.
But we can often learn from what’s helpful for others. I encourage you to take what you like and leave the rest.
Now, let’s help you get into your own (timely) writing rhythm!
1. Track your time.
I get it—tracking your time sounds like the most tedious job in the world. In my books, it ranked up there with pulling weeds from a meadow of wildflowers.
Besides, you already have a general idea of how you spend your time, right?
Here’s the record screech. Sorry, friend—you probably don’t.
For years, I had no clue how long I spent working on a freelance project. Sometimes I spent days. Other times it was only a few hours.
But I always figured I had a good sense of how long it took me to craft a book.
Then, I started tracking my time last fall.
First, I tracked my time while working as a line editor on a book series. I tallied up the total hours spent, and divided it by how much I was paid.
I made $40/hour.
Now, this is definitely a great wage, and one I’m grateful to have made. But I then tracked my time on my next project working with a different company.
I made $140/hour.
Time tracking has a way of putting you eye-to-eye with some truths in your writing business.
This can be immensely painful. (I’m raising my hand here. These truths have walloped me.)
But without an awareness around how we spend our time… well, time has a way of floating by without us knowing it.
One of the best ways you can manage your time as a freelance writer is to track your time. Here’s how I do it.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Track your Time
1 » Sign up for a free account with Toggl Track, a time tracking software.
I love using Toggl Track. It’s a great software for freelancers, especially as their free plan gives you access to their most helpful features.
Yes, you can definitely just use some paper and pen to track your time. But if you’re like me and into tech-wizardry, give Toggl a go.
2 » Add your clients to your Toggl Track account.
Once you have your account set up, it’s time to add your list of clients. This can be easily done on the left side of your Toggl Track dashboard.
Your first instinct might be to think of “clients” as just your roster of clients. But you can also expand this to areas of work.
These are a few of my “clients” in my account:
Freelance Client #1
Freelance Client #2
Monika Davies (Yes, I consider myself a client too! I use this to track my admin time.)
Blog (This is how I track how much time I spend writing articles.)
Newsletter
3 » Add your current projects to your account and make sure to connect each project to a client.
Projects are next. You’ll find the place to add them on the left side of your dashboard.
Go through your current list of freelance writing projects on the go. Make sure each one is added to your list.
4 » Add tags in your Toggl account.
Next, it’s time to add tags! These are also found on the left side of your dashboard.
Tags help you narrow in on where your minutes are going on any given project. This is helpful as a freelance writer if you’re looking to estimate how much time you need for each stage of a writing process.
For example, I write nonfiction books. I track how long it takes me to write and research my outline, the time it takes to write a first draft, and finally, how many hours I spend editing.
Here are a few of my tags in Toggl:
Outline
Writing
Edit ing
Squarespace Time (I like to tag + track how long I spend fussing with my Squarespace website… mainly because I can spend way too long being finicky.)
Review + Reflection
5 » Sign up for a Timery account and add the desktop app to your computer.
Timery is also a time tracking software. But the cool part? It works “on top” of Toggl.
So, why do you need an additional piece of software? Basically, Toggl Track isn’t great for starting and stopping timers. Their reporting system is great. But Timery has them beat when it comes quickly and intuitively keeping track of your time.
Toggl and Timery are a delightful duo.
Timery enhances the Toggl Track experience. You can set up “saved timers” and it has helpful widgets on Mac and IOS. You can check out their website for more details.
Timery does cost a bit extra (around $15 in Canadian cash per year), but for me, the cost is definitely worth the cost of three coffees.
Toggl Track can be finicky to use on a daily basis. Timery smooths the process and makes starting and stopping timers a breeze.
(There is a free version of Timery—but you do only get four saved timers. When you’re starting out though, this may be enough for you!)
6 » Set up your Saved Timers in Timery.
My saved timers usually include about 4-8 of my common weekly tasks. Each one is attached to a project, client, and tag.
I’ve added the Timery widgets to my Mac desktop. When the Timery app opens, my Saved Timers are all lined up. I just click one, and I’m tracking my time just like that!
7 » Set up reminders for yourself to track your time.
Getting into the habit of tracking your time is tough. There’s no getting around it. Here are two simple ways I make it easier:
Set up my Timery app to open automatically when I launch my computer. (This is my reminder to get on the track train. )
Put a bright yellow post-it on my laptop that reads, “TIME TRACK.” (Visual cues are handy for me.)
8 » Now, track your time!
A bit self-explanatory! But remember—it’s okay to start small with this step. Just start by tracking your time on one project.
Once you’re in the habit of tracking your freelance projects, this data will be invaluable to you.
Remind yourself that tracking your time helps future freelance you. (And that future you is purpose-driven and cares about their finances, eh!)
9 » Review + reflect on your weekly reports in Toggl Track.
Toggl Track has myriad reports. There are detailed, summary, and weekly reports—all available in the free version.
You can filter the reports by clients, projects, and tags. This gives you a close-up view of how you’re spending your weeks and months.
Time tracking reports are only helpful if you look at them.
Make time after you’ve completed each project - and also at the end of every week - to touch base with how much time you spent on different parts of your job.
Here are a few of the metrics you can track:
How much time you spend writing versus editing every week
Which projects you spent the most time on
The hours you spend on biz admin
Which of your clients you spend the most time working with
10 » Bonus: Calculate your hourly rate for freelance projects.
Once you have your time tracking data in front of you, do some quick calculations.
How many hours did you spend on a writing project?
How much did you get paid for the project?
Calculate: [amount paid] / [hours spent] = Your Hourly Rate
Keep this number in mind when you’re accepting new projects or pitching to new clients. Ask yourself—what hourly rate do you want to be making?
The Hidden Benefits of Time Tracking
1. Your accountability is heightened.
When you have a timer counting your minutes, you’re automatically more in tune with the task at hand.
When I track my time, I stay more focused. Since I know there’s a timer I will have to stop if I fall down a Youtube rabbit hole, that acts as a little nudge to ensure I stay on task.
2. You have a better awareness of how much to charge for different projects.
Knowing how much time you spend on each stage of a project sets you up for freelancer success.
Without this knowledge, it’s going to be tough to come up with proposals or to know when a project’s rate is enough for the time you’ll need to commit.
3. You can set up a schedule that is based on an accurate sense of your time.
This leads right to our next strategy. Tracking your time helps you set up a successful “ideal freelance schedule.”
2. Set boundaries + intentions for your schedule.
Boundaries is a self-care buzz word. Setting boundaries with people you love and within work leads to hard and uncomfortable conversations. But setting boundaries ultimately will make your life easier and more meaningful + joyful.
But the most important boundaries you’ll ever set? The ones with yourself.
As a freelancer, setting boundaries for yourself is a key way that you can take care of yourself and business.
Boundaries as a freelance writer can look like:
Setting start and stop times for your work day
Committing to a schedule that keeps your work-life balance in mind
Sticking to time constraints when deciding how long you’ll spend on a project
Parkinson’s Law: An Annoying Truth
Cyril Northcote Parkinson is the English dude behind the following aggravating words. He once said:
“It is a commonplace observation that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
In simpler terms: the amount of time you will spend on a project is equal to how many hours you decide to spend on it.
Basically, if you give yourself four weeks to finish a writing project? It’ll take you four weeks.
If you give yourself one week to finish the same project? It’ll take you one week.
As a recovering perfectionist, setting limitations on how much time I’ll spend on a writing project is both terrifying—and freeing.
Set mini-deadlines for every stage of a freelance project.
This idea is originally inspired from the funny, helpful folks at Wandering Aimfully. Caroline and Jason Zook list one of their best time-management tips as setting “micro-deadlines.”
Micro-deadlines have become mini-deadlines for me. And they’re a game changer for me as a freelance writer.
I write nonfiction books. There are three stages to my process:
Outline the book
Write the first draft
Edit the first draft
I generally have about 6 weeks to complete all three stages. But in the past, instead of working on each stage a week at a time, I’d cram all the writing into ~23 hours.
This is what my writing process used to look like:
Week 1: Bury my head in sand and not look at my deadline.
Week 2: Frantically outline my book 3 hours before my deadline.
Week 3: Bury my head in beach rocks and brush off my deadline.
Week 4: Bury my head in soil and pretend my deadline is nonexistent.
Week 5: Repeat Week 4.
Week 6: Grow terrified and write my entire first draft 23 hours before my deadline. Edit my first draft for 18 minutes before emailing it to my editor.
Yes, I procrastinated hard. (That’s putting it mildly.)
And, frankly, my quality of work wasn’t always where I wanted it to be. When I was procrastinating, it was a rather un-delightful form of self-sabotage. It wasn’t fun.
I have compassion for my former procrastinating self.
It’s scary to share your work with others, especially if it feels like your self-worth is attached to what you produce.
But I know that I want to take care of myself as a freelancer—so I now set weekly “mini-deadlines” for myself. These are crucial boundaries that help me stay on track.
This is what my writing process looks like now:
Week 1: Give myself three half-days to write a comprehensive outline.
Week 2: Hand in my outline to my editor early and wait for feedback.
Week 3: Write my first draft. Give myself four full days to write it.
Week 4: Edit my first draft. Give myself two half-days to fully edit it. Submit my “good-enough” version to my editor, two full weeks ahead of my deadline.
Week 5: Get feedback from my editor. Work on my second draft.
Week 6: Hand in my final version on the first draft deadline. (Fist pump!)
Can you feel the ease in this second schedule?
My shoulders are so much less tense with these kind of hours.
There is magic to the mini-deadlines. For one, I’m no longer as stressed. Second, I’m infinitely more creative.
When I’m not working right up to a deadline, my writing has room to grow and flourish. I hand in higher-quality work. And that feels good to my freelance soul.
That leads me to the second magic mini-deadline.
Always have a personal deadline for projects.
Your clients will give you their deadlines. These are the strict lines in the sand. They’ll say: “Your project is due on [exact date].”
Your goal is to “forget” that deadline, and set a personal deadline instead. One that is due a few days to a week before theirs.
Here’s how personal deadlines work:
I have a client project due on October 15th.
My personal deadline for completing the project is on October 8th.
I set my mini-deadlines with a personal deadline in mind. My goal is always to hand in my project ahead of time—on my personal deadline date.
Personal deadlines help in two ways:
Clients will be happier because you’re ahead of schedule.
You have a time cushion in case something goes awry.
Give yourself a cushion of time when you’re working on client projects.
Because—well, life. Life throws boomerangs at you sometimes. Knowing you’re working toward an earlier deadline will help keep you sane in your freelancing.
How to set mini-deadlines + personal deadlines:
Look at your client’s project deadline on a calendar.
Set a personal deadline at least one week before the actual deadline.
Work backwards and calculate how many weeks you have before your personal deadline.
Pick a mini-deadline for each week you have before your personal deadline.
For example, that might break down as follows:
Week 1: Research subject and find seven in-depth sources.
Week 2: Write first draft of 5,000 word article.
Week 3: Edit first draft so it’s polished and good to go.
Week 4: Hand in your first draft one week early. Huzzah!
Set boundaries with your time on a project.
As a freelancer, it is helpful to know what you want your hourly rate to be. How much money do you want to be paid per hour? This is your pay rate goal.
For my freelancing work, clients approach me with projects and the rate they’re willing to pay. Over the last few years, I’ve developed a good sense of my pay rate goal.
Once you know your pay rate goal, that’s when you can firmly set time boundaries.
Here’s how to set your time boundaries on a project:
Payment for a client’s project is $1,000.
Your pay rate goal is to make $75/hour.
$75 x 13 hours = roughly $1,000.
This means, to make your hourly rate, you can spend 13 hours on this project.
13 hours is your time boundary.
In this scenario, before you accept the assignment, ask yourself these two questions:
Can I write a quality, “good-enough” piece for this client in 13 hours?
Can I commit to myself to only spend 13 hours on this project?
If you answer, “yes” and “yes,” then you’re well on your way to hitting your magic pay rate number. If you’re unsure about either of those questions, take a day to evaluate if this project will work for you.
If you accept the project, make sure to track your time. Watch how long you’re writing and editing for. Be mindful and stick to your time boundary.
So, what happens if you couldn’t stick to your time boundary?
First, be gentle with yourself. There’s a learning curve to this.
Reaching your pay rate goal takes time and practice. Pair self-compassion with accountability, though. Ask yourself, “Why wasn’t I able to stick to my time boundary?”
Following through on the promises we make to ourselves helps build self-trust. Learn from the experience, and put your learnings to use when you set time boundaries again.
3. Pick a Task Tactic.
Part of managing your time comes down to how you prioritize your tasks. As a freelancer, your to-do list probably is longer than the length of a curling rink.
But not every to-do is created equally. The key to getting more done? Pick a task tactic to make sure you get the right stuff done every day.
1st Tactic: Pick a Highlight
This is one of my favourite task tactics from Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky’s book, Make Time.
The idea is simple—choose a “highlight” for your day. This is the one task or activity you will get done.
Days can pass by in two blinks of an eye. By intentionally choosing your highlight of the day, you know this is the one task or activity that will get done—and will ultimately make your day memorable.
Highlights are tasks or activities that are urgent, satisfying, or joyful.
Use these 3 questions to choose your highlight.
1. What is the most urgent thing I have to do today?
If you have something urgent that needs to get done today, make it your highlight.
A few real-life examples of an “urgent highlight”:
Write the first two chapters of my nonfiction book.
Prepare for an interview.
Get a meal ready for a family supper.
2. What task or activity will help me feel the most satisfied today?
Sometimes we just need that sense of satisfaction. Think of a task that will get you to that feeling and make it your highlight.
A few real-life examples of a “satisfying highlight”:
Write 2,000 words for a blog post.
Organize my desk so it’s clear and uncluttered.
Spend time learning about my new budget software. (I personally love budgeting, okay? :))
3. What task or activity will help me feel the most joy today?
I’m all about creating more joy in my life. Your highlight doesn’t have to just be urgent matters. What sparks joy in you? You can also choose that as your highlight.
A few real-life examples of “joyful highlights”:
Attend my yin yoga class.
Get a coffee with a friend I haven’t seen in months.
Try a new acrylic pouring technique.
A couple of key things to keep in mind:
Highlights usually work best if they’ll take 60-90 minutes.
Write your highlight down! I write my daily highlight on a yellow sticky note to keep it top of mind.
Choose a highlight every day, and you’ll be amazed at how just getting one big thing done each day feels like such an accomplishment.
2nd Tactic: Choose 3 Things
This is a simple tactic but super effective. As a writer, you probably know of the “rule of three.” There’s a harmony to three events, three characters, and three-part structure.
So, use the “rule of three” to harmonize your to-do list.
Choose three things to do each day—and only three.
And remember—stick to your boundaries. Set your three main tasks, and keep to them.
And when you’re done, you’re done. No adding next day’s tasks onto your list, eh!
Here’s a “three check-box” to-do list for me:
Write conclusion for current book project.
Write non-fiction section for current book project.
Write last three sections of my blog post. (My highlight!)
Task tactics help with efficiency and will also help you manage your time better. Setting a daily highlight or committing to three tasks clarifies your priorities—and this will help guide you to a timely schedule.
4. Make focus easy.
I find one of the most effective questions to ask myself is - “how can I make this easy?”
We know multi-tasking doesn’t really work. You’ve likely found you work best when you’re focused on one task at a time.
But in our distraction-filled world, focusing on one task—and one only—is getting harder and harder.
Here are some ideas on how you can make entering that focus or flow state a whole lot easier.
Skip emails and texts until after lunch.
This has been one of the best strategies for me. Nowadays, I don’t check email until 1pm, and I don’t check my texts until it’s lunchtime. (I’m generally not on social media, but that’s another blog post.)
Now, depending on your situation, not checking messages in the morning may not work for you.
But even if you have clients that love immediate replies, I challenge you to think about whether you can start your day with even an hour or two of no email.
Getting into creative flow state is much easier if you don’t have outside distractions.
Emails from clients will distract you from the task at hand. And texts from your friends will too.
This is how I make my “email-free” time easier:
I know which task I’m working on first. (This is usually my hardest one of the day.)
I use Cold Turkey, a website and app blocker that is tough as nails. This keeps me committed to no email in the morning—even on days when I’d like to shift my attention.
I’m not saying to ignore communication. Heck, writers make a living communicating!
Just set aside “no-distraction” hours for yourself in the morning. It’ll make a huge difference in how your time is managed.
Learn to “Eat the wasabi.”
So, the original idea is called, “eat the frog.” I’m not a huge fan of eating amphibians. Hence the re-branding: “Eat the wasabi!”
The concept is the same—at the start of a work day, do your hardest task first.
Eat the wasabi first.
Your wasabi might be an assignment you’re dreading. Your wasabi may be slogging through your biz budget.
These are the tasks we want to put last on the to-do list. Don’t.
Eat the wasabi first.
Focus is harder when we have other tasks gnawing at us.
And often, our hardest task is the most important one we need to get done.
Compassionately commit to yourself to doing the hard thing first. Eat the wasabi first. (Have I said that enough times now? :))
Use Time Blocking to Get Creative
Time-blocking felt anti-creative to me at one point in my freelance journey. You can’t rein me in! I’d think. No routines shall hold me hostage!
(My accent goes old-timey in these imagined scenarios.)
Time-blocking helps me immensely now though. For me, mornings are my most productive hours. I take full advantage of that.
Basically, time-blocking means to block sections of your schedule for specific work. This helps you focus on one task at a time, versus jumping from emails to writing blog posts to web design.
Here’s how I currently time-block my day:
7:00-9:30: Morning Routine. Yes, I set aside 2.5 hours for my morning routine—and it’s the best decision I make for my creative business. Read ideas on how to set your own morning routine here.
9:00-12:00: Work block #1. This 3-hour block is when I work on my hardest task of the day and spend time writing.
12:00-1:00: Lunch + walk. This 1-hour block is when I pick up my phone and respond to texts.
1:00-1:30: Email (0.5 hours)
1:30-3:30: Work block #2. This 2 hour block is when I make sure I complete all remaining tasks on my to-do list.
Ask yourself these questions to start time blocking:
What hours am I most creatively energized? → Block those hours for creative work.
When is the latest time I can respond to work emails? → Block that time for email.
When does my brain usually get tired mid-day? → Block those hours for lunch and a break.
Know your why
When I start any new project, I consider why I’m doing this particular project.
Is it in line with my values?
Will it fill my creative bucket?
Is it helping me build a sustainable business?
Focus becomes easier when we remember why it’s important to keep our eyes and heart on the task in front of us.
Focus is harder when our purpose is fuzzy or incomplete.
In the past, I took on projects because I had to pay my bills. There’s no shame in that, and sometimes we do need to complete a project because it’ll keep food on our plates.
But even if your main reason for doing a project is money-fuelled, you can usually find a deeper purpose to your work.
We write so people will read our words.
Consider who will read your writing. Put yourself in their shoes. What problems are you solving for them?
Connecting to the underlying purpose of a project can help propel you forward. And momentum is catnip for staying focused.
5. Rest and reflect with compassion.
I’m not a fan of hustle culture. At all.
I think for some people, it’s a choice that works well with their energy and lifestyle.
But for me, my life is at its sunniest when I’m taking care of myself. A key part of this is taking time to rest and reflect.
Living with purpose and intention requires making conscious choices. Rest and reflection are two choices that make a huge difference in how I manage my time.
Choose rest.
We don’t think of rest when it comes to time management. If anything, it seems a bit counter to the concept.
We manage our time so we can get more done. Rest seems to be anti-getting-things-done.
But proper rest is one of the best things you can do to manage your time and productivity.
In Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s book, Rest, he writes:
"We underestimate how much good serious rest can do us. And we also underestimate how much we can do if we take rest seriously.”
Here are some signs it may be time for you to take a break:
You constantly feel burnt out.
You feel overwhelmed when you look at a blank page.
It’s hard for you to focus even when you have a schedule in place.
You feel like you never have any time for what brings you joy.
You feel grouchy or achy every day, and the feelings linger.
It’s important for us to step away from work.
Even as freelancers who work from home. Especially us freelancers.
Managing your time triples in difficulty if you’re tired. And most of us are.
We don’t get enough sleep. We subscribe to a busy-busy-busy mentality, often because we believe our self-worth is tied to our productivity.
Try this reframe: Rest actually helps us become more productive.
We get more done when we rest properly. Our brains have time to get creatively invigorated when we take a break from laptop screens and endless work projects.
If you think you might maybe need rest… Well, friend, I’m going to guess that you definitely do.
Here are some simple ways to rest as a freelance writer:
Take workday breaks. Try working for 50 minutes, then taking a five minute break. Or simply commit to taking at least an hour for lunch. Go for a walk during that lunch hour. Then, keep experimenting until you find a break schedule that works for you.
Take a Friday off. Commit to it a week ahead, and pick one of your favourite things to do that day. Go to your favourite burrito place or sit by the ocean. Anything that gets you out of your house and away from screens.
Take a week off. If you have a break between freelance projects, intentionally take the week off. Throw a vacation auto-responder on your email account and spend a week re-charging your creative batteries. Go to a yoga class, try a new art project, or visit some friends. Do things that physically separate you from your work.
Choose compassionate reflection.
If you take one thing away from this article, it’s that every human with a schedule struggles with time management.
Time is one of our most precious resources.
But it is also something we can take for granted, and it’s also something that we can let slip through our hands.
If you’re struggling with time management, you are definitely not alone. I still struggle with staying on track. Life ebbs and flows. My schedule follows suit.
Look back with compassionate curiosity.
Every week I ask myself:
What went well this week?
What didn’t go well this week?
What have I learned?
These questions are simple. But reflecting every week is how we can experiment and find our way forward.
When I have an off week (and we all do), I gently ask myself what went off the rails. And I remember that I’m doing the best I can.
The same holds true for you.
Change takes time. Try one of these strategies and see if it works for you.
If it doesn’t, consider if there were aspects that did work. What can you take with you? Then, leave the rest.
Approach time management with the outlook of a scientist.
What hypotheses do you have about what will help you manage your time better? Then, experiment!
And stay compassionate. You’re a human with a schedule. Have grace for yourself when you make mistakes and time gets away from you.
Then, try again. You got this.
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Oh hey there, I’m Monika!
(she/her) I’m a big fan of compassionate creativity, intentional living, and freshly-popped popcorn. I hope one or more of these time management strategies have helped you feel more in control of your schedule.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email. I love to hear from fellow freelancers!
