Use a Gantt chart to prioritize your freelance projects and calm your mind.
I have an inquisitive, curious mind and am always looking at new ways to market my services, and new ways to create additional streams of income.
But when I get a new idea I tend to get a little over-excited, and spend too much time on it when I have other deadlines and commitments to deal with.
I quite like my inquisitive nature. It makes my work and life more interesting.
But I'm not crazy about the fact that I sometimes allow my enthusiasm to get in the way of working efficiently and productively.
In addition, when I have too many "layers" operating at one time in my head, I start to feel overwhelmed. At that point I begin to fumble. I have trouble prioritizing my work and then get worried about how I am going to get everything done.
Fortunately, I have come to recognize this process and sequence, and have learned how to deal with it.
Here's what I do.
I grab a sheet of paper and write the complete list of projects and ideas I am working on down the left side. Across the top I write the names of the next six months.
If you are thinking "Gantt chart", you would be correct.
I look at the list of projects and identify those which have clear deadlines. This is usually client work of some description. These are my current commitments. So I block in the time, from left to right.
I then ask myself if I have any time free to work on anything else.
If not, I block in time for the new project I am so excited about, but starting at a date after I have completed the jobs to which I have already committed.
This sound pretty ordinary so far. Right? It's just regular time management. Productivity 101.
The trouble is, however simple this solution may be, not many freelancers use it. Instead, we tend to allow too many projects to overlap, one on top of the other.
Then we start to feel overwhelmed. Then a little internal panic sets in. And then our productivity suffers.
If you don't already take the "Gantt chart" approach to organizing your work, I recommend that you start.
For me, it allows me to have as many crazy and interesting new ideas for projects as I like.
I simply put them in their place, at a time when I will have the opportunity to give them my full attention.
Once I have each project and its timeline written down and recorded, I can relax, knowing that nothing is lost.
Then I get back to work and am able to give each project and task my full attention.
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