Staying Productive when you’re self-employed

Maximizing your productivity everyday is vital when you are self-employed or your business consists of just one employee – you. Being self-employed means you can’t slow down on Monday or Tuesdays, which is something that employees in companies usually do.  To remain at peak productivity throughout the week, you can adopt a few tips that are widely used, and below we have discussed our personal favorites.

Get Adequate Sleep

Being at the top of your game in terms of productivity often starts with getting enough of sleep.

So you need to start planning for increasing your productivity by going early to bed and getting the right amount of sleep so that you are fresh the next day.  Taking time out to rest or grab a short nap during the day is also ideal as it is rejuvenating and allows you to concentrate better, especially when you are working a long day that stretches over 12 hours or more.

Make a Plan to Handle Extra work

Instead of reacting to a last minute party order, by ramping up the productivity in your bakery at the drop of a hat and doing it all by yourself, make a plan to deal with these situations. Start by using downtime of a few minutes to plan for such emergencies every day. If in case you need an extra person to help you handle additional workload then draw up a list of people who are available per day, and others who can be their backup if they are busy. A clear plan, allows you to meet the demands of extra orders while fulfilling your daily commitments, and end the day with a sense of accomplishment.

Make a List of Items to Do Everyday

Making a list of things to accomplish per day, doesn’t necessarily mean that you are chained to your desk until you complete them. In the case of the self-employed a list can include working to write 2000 words per day or making 20 vases. But such goals should be flexible, and you should not shy away from overshooting them as it will help make up for unforeseen circumstances that could impact performance in the future.

Ensure You Do Work that Pays Your Bills

Earning enough to pay your bills at the end of the month should be the main focus of daily activities. Spending too much on projects that are creatively satisfying but bring in less money is an attractive prospect to many freelancers and self employed individuals, but ultimately results in not having enough of money at the end of the month. So ensure you work on high paying projects first and then move to those that provide a lower payment.

Invest in Ergonomic tools and Office Equipment

Getting a desk or tools that are ergonomically designed, is just a basic need when you are self employed as they will allow you to work without developing muscle strain. One of the lifestyle hacks employed by those who are self employed is a good chair with lumbar support but increasingly popular is the sit-stand desk.  The height adjustable desk can be used when sitting or standing, and with the aid of this workstation that promotes activity people can get more exercise when they are working.

Allocate time to Exercise

Controlling when you work is a big benefit of being self employed and you can take advantage of this flexibility to spend a few minutes in the middle of day exercising. Exercise will keep you alert and give you a much needed boost in the middle of day, allowing you to return to work in a better frame of mind to finish tasks.

Keep to a Set Schedule Every Day

Self employment does not mean working when the mood strikes you, so you should create a schedule that is more or less similar from one day to the next. A set schedule allows you to approach a self-employment with discipline and keep productivity high.

Make Time to Plan for the future and Keep Busy

Being self-employed sometimes results in periods when there is less work. You can make use of this time to create a blog, a social media account or volunteer in a project. Volunteering or creating a blog allows you to showcase your skills to a wider audience and it could bring in added revenue in the future.

Finally better management of your productivity everyday means finding those black holes that suck time in, and putting into place plans to stay productive while delivering the best quality to your customers.