One of the biggest challenges of being a freelancer is managing your time. While an employee has to comply with the office hours set by their employer, a freelancer sets their own schedule.

Although this is convenient, it also puts more responsibility on your shoulders. In this guide, we look at some tips you can use to make the most efficient use of your time as a freelancer.

1. Search for Fewer but More Lucrative Projects

A common mistake freelancers make is to take up every project offered to them with little regard for what it pays. This is more common among newbies, but you'd be surprised how many seasoned freelancers do so as well. And if you're trying to build a portfolio from scratch, you might be tempted to do the same too.

However, what this actually ends up doing is hogging all your free time and rendering you unable to serve any client well since all of them will want their projects prioritized. This may even lead to you receiving bad feedback from unsatisfied clients.

The more effective way to freelance is not to have many mediocre projects, but instead fewer and more lucrative projects from high-paying clients. That way, you can work on one project at a time and deliver quality work, resulting in satisfied clients and positive testimonials.

2. Prepare a Work Schedule and Stick to It

Being your own boss as a freelancer is indeed a privilege, but it's one that's easy to abuse. Instead of working whenever you feel like it, you'll find far more success creating a schedule and sticking to it—just like an office worker.

This doesn't necessarily have to be 9-to-5; as a freelancer, you do have the liberty of being more flexible with your schedule, so you can set a custom one that works best for you.

If you need help with that, there are a plethora of apps to create a schedule and manage tasks, so you can try them all out and see which one fits your unique needs and lifestyle.

3. Use Time Trackers and Project Management Apps

It can get hard to properly track how many hours you're putting in for work as a freelancer due to its flexibility. This is especially so if you work in inconsistent slots, tend to take frequent breaks, or are a working parent who constantly needs to attend to your kids. In that case, it's a great idea to use time-tracking apps.

Each app offers something unique alongside tracking your hours; for instance, Toggl has a built-in Pomorodo timer and automatic idle detection—while actiTIME can prepare detailed reports and help gather insights. These apps are available cross-platform, so you can operate them from pretty much any device.

While you're at it, don't forget to familiarize yourself with project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday. As your freelance career grows, you're inevitably going to require specialized industry-standard tools to keep tabs on assigned projects and deadlines.

4. Look for Ways to Automate Parts of Your Workflow

You might be able to do everything manually at first, but after a while, your increasing workload won't allow it. So, it's wiser to figure out how to automate parts of your workflow.

For instance, you can use FreshBooks, Invoicely, or Invoice Ninja to create professional invoices in seconds instead of making a mediocre-looking one yourself on Microsoft Word.

Similarly, you can use social media scheduling tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social to create and schedule your social media posts to publish at a specific time.

If you want to take things to the next level, you can use IFTTT or Zapier to unleash the full potential of automation. These apps sync with almost all popular work apps such as Gmail, Excel, Slack, Zoom, and social media apps, and can automate pretty much anything.

5. Delegate Some of Your Projects

If you find yourself not having enough time to complete all your projects, you can also delegate some of them to other freelancers. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork are great places to find skilled freelancers from pretty much any industry.

Make sure to check out their portfolio before shaking hands. It's better to hire someone a bit pricier but competent and reliable than someone cheap but inexperienced.

6. Use the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful yet simple framework that helps compartmentalize tasks based on importance and urgency. It's really easy to make; start by drawing a 2x2 matrix, mark the two columns as Urgent and Not Urgent, and the two rows as Important and Not Important.

The four sections will categorize tasks as such:

7. Avoid Overworking and Take Breaks

People usually perceive freelancing as more relaxing and less stressful than a full-time job. And while there's some truth in that statement, it's also true that—as your own boss—you can find yourself feeling pressured to keep working since you are directly responsible for the success of what essentially is a small business.

If left unchecked, this self-imposed pressure to work can result in you overworking and may even lead to burnout. Remember, for freelancing to be successful, it has to be sustainable. So, remember to take breaks when you need them, and if you need to take a day off here and there to recharge yourself, that's okay too.

Make the Most Out of Your Time as a Freelancer

As a freelancer, it's on you to manage your time and keep yourself accountable. The good news is that it's not as hard as it may seem, and there are plenty of tools and techniques out there that can help you do so.

However, before you quit your job to pursue freelancing, it's better to learn the risks associated with it and go in with realistic expectations instead of painting a rosy picture.