Whether you are a freelancer or employed, there are loads of tasks to do in a day a week or a month and most of them requires equal attention and importance. These tasks may include a project which needs final touch-ups, an email to be sent, a meeting to arrange and attend, starting working for the upcoming project, looking into the finances or any research work. With all these different kinds of tasks jumbled up and waiting for your attention, it can be a real task to manage all of them effectively and that’s where you require good management. A good management can tell you how to carry on each task and to prioritize tasks on the basis of importance.
Productivity is important ad beneficial for your business. But what’s more important is to manage the productivity in the tasks which will be even more beneficial. And we are here to help you out on ways that will make you manage your tasks effectively with some handy tips.
1. Keeping a Strict Lookout for the Deadlines:
In a client based work, meeting the deadlines is the one thing that determines the basis of urgency the most. It not only makes a good impact on the client if you regularly meet the deadlines but can also be a measure of prioritizing the work. The work with the deadline should be the first that should be gaining your attention. Also, it should be divided in a way that there is also room for other work of a different nature.
2. Breaking Down the Deadline:
One way of reaching the deadline on time and also keeping up with other tasks is to set sub-deadlines for the project. For example, if a project has a certain date for submission, you can break down the tasks of the project and set dates to these parts yourself. Reaching small portions makes the work finish off quickly and seems less hectic.
These sub-deadlines are self-imposed and only for you to know. The client will be submitted the final work on the last date. This creates a smooth pace for the project and lets you analyze your work more thoroughly. This tip can help you work on the project on an equal pace instead of the work piled up and hurried at the end to meet the deadline which also provides a room for missing out things.
3. Keeping the Consequences in Mind:
This is a tip which is more psychological based instead of practical for freelancer. When there are loads of tasks becoming a load and you want to skip one or two, start considering what would happen if you don’t meet the particular deadline or don’t get the work done. This thought will most likely make you realize the importance of the task and will make you do it on time.
If you consider that not submitting some project in time will be disastrous, it will make you meet the deadline and finish the work on time. And when some other things are also dependent on some work, it will not let you fall behind the schedule.
4. Taking in to Consideration the Money Flow:
Money is a big motivation. When you consider that finishing certain project will bring in money, you will do it on time. Also, being a freelancer, if you are paid for your work in advance, it will be an obligation to finish the work on time and that ought to make you meet the deadline and manage the tasks.
In this situation, freelancer needs to be more attentive as failing to submit the work on time will not only ruin your relationship and repute with the client but will also affect your money inflow in one way or the other.
5. Considering the Timeline:
You might have come across time when there are more than one tasks lining up your schedule and both have the same or near about deadline. In this scenario, the best thing to do is to consider the time required for finishing each task. Both of these tasks won’t be requiring an equal amount of time so you can divide the work and finish it in its time slot.
6. Scheduling and Working from End to Start:
Your to-do list can work more effectively if you keep the bigger picture in mind and start working on the schedule backwards instead of planning for the day and going till the end.
For example, make a plan of the whole month and divide tasks in weeks, keeping in view the priority. Then focus on weeks, dividing the work in days and then focusing on everyday’s work. The weeks should be divided among the tasks requiring more importance the first. When the schedule of the weeks and the months are also planned along with the days, you will be able to see and analyze clearly the speed the projects and the tasks are going on.
7. Setting the Time Aside for Personal Projects As Well:
There are not the projects from the client that are the most important. There are other, personal projects as well which needs your attention as much. Personal projects may involve nurturing yourself with more knowledge about your work and polishing your skills. These tasks may also include posting new stuff on your blog and updating your portfolio which is an important aspect in keeping your business updated.
And these are also the tasks which tend to be forgotten and not given the due attention. To solve this, you need to set some time aside for these tasks as well, may it only be a small portion of your days’ time.
Final Thoughts:
One of the factors of running a successful business is to be a good manager and from good manager, I mean management of time as well, which is an important thing. You cannot hope to survive in your field for long if you cannot learn to manage your tasks effectively. The best way to do is to prioritize the tasks according to the deadlines and the projects. Moreover, every task should be managed giving a portion of time regularly instead of finishing one off completely and moving to the next.
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really helping article. thanks for sharing