How to manage multiple roles as a freelancer.

COGNITIVE OVERLOAD ANYONE?

Employees have it easy. Their boss tells them what to do:

For freelancers, life is not so simple.

You juggle multiple roles, which often need completely different mindsets and skills.

You’re bouncing from one task to another in a flurry of activity.

The lines start to blur between your different roles.

It all turns into a big cognitive mess, and you’re constantly burdened with the anxiety that you’ve forgotten something.

Or that you won’t get it done in time.

Or that you’ve just sent an email to someone who will have no idea what you’re talking about by mistake.

SAME YOU – DIFFERENT HATS.

FREELANCING IS CABARET WITHOUT THE APPLAUSE

Like many freelancers, I’ve got several plates spinning at the same time every day.

I have writing work that needs that creative spark. Editing and proofreading that requires a more scientific, analytical approach. Teaching and coaching, where I need to be the friendly face of my brand. Plus a couple of managerial roles that involve everything.

Each role requires me to be a different person and keep different people happy.

My work week is not particularly long, but the days can sometimes merge into a big blob of frenzied activity.

If I’m not careful, my brain starts to fry. I have no idea what I’m doing.

Switching from one mindset to another can bring on the brain fog really fast.

Overwhelm creeps in. And that feeling is usually not justified.

We create it.

THINKING IN BOXES.

BE YOUR OWN WAREHOUSE

For the me, the key to keeping my sanity intact is to categorise what I do.

Not only do I put tasks in metaphorical boxes. I have to divide my thinking and mindset into boxes too.

I don’t do anything complicated or use different apps or complicated software.

I have a few sheets of A4 paper sitting on my printer. Each sheet is for a different role. One is writing. One is management. One is teaching etc.

(I’ve tried using Microsoft OneNote, but I still prefer to scribble things down with a pen for some reason. Old school.)

On each page is a simple list of things to do. This immediately reduces the mental burden of mixed roles.

The key is – PUT THINGS IN BOXES. DON’T MIX THEM UP.

WHAT AND WHEN.

Then I hit the calendar and assign the tasks to different times.

I know that I’m at my most creative early in the morning. My managerial tasks are best done later in the afternoon when I know I can contact people if needed. Coaching is booked, so I have fixed times for that etc.

If something is on a deadline it goes sooner rather than later.

And if there’s a task I really don’t feel inspired about, I do that one first. Don’t delay it and invite dark clouds into your thinking. Get the rubbish stuff out of the way. It frees you up in more ways than one.

Leave the enjoyable ones so that you have something to look forward to.

And leave gaps between tasks.

I find that even a fifteen minute break to do something unrelated to work always helps. 30 minutes is better.

Drink a coffee. Listen to some music. Go for a walk. Talk to your plants.

Reset your brain.

And get away from that screen.

THAT BLOODY BEEPING THING.

THE DISTRACTION MONSTER IS HUNGRY

You know the scene.

An email pops into your inbox. Your phone rings or beeps at you, demanding your immediate attention. There’s a gremlin determined to throw you off your schedule.

You reach for your device. The monster grins.

Don’t feed it. Turn everything off.

I have no notifications, neither email nor sms. My phone goes on mute.

I have absolutely no idea what is going on in the world…

…and it is bliss.

I get on with the tasks I have set myself and nothing is allowed to disturb me.

I’ve learned from experience that reading an email can throw me off course because I feel I need to act on it.

Or, even worse, it adds an extra weight on my mind because there is another thing that I have to worry about in some murky future.

I only check my emails or my phone when I have a long enough break to give it my attention.

Perhaps 3 times in a work day. No more.

And then…

If it can be acted on in 2 minutes – I act. Immediately.

If it can’t, it goes on one of my sheets for later consideration.

In all my years of freelancing, I haven’t had one occasion where I somehow missed something important because I hadn’t checked my phone for a few hours.

You might think that you need to connected at all times. But, unless you are a doctor on call, you probably don’t.

KEEP IT SIMPLE.

THIS WOMAN HAS JUST MAGICALLY TRANSPORTED TO HER HAPPY PLACE

Multiple-task-overwhelm is an easy trap to fall into. You’ll barely notice yourself slipping towards the edge.

But …

• · By spending a little time organising your roles into boxes, you relieve yourself of the mental strain of constantly switching hats.

• · By allocating and prioritising tasks to set times and doing the crappy stuff first, you’ll be able to tick off your achievements.

• · By taking regular breaks to do things you like, you’ll give your brain time to reset.

• · By removing all distraction-gremlins you’ll be able to focus better and not feel as though the world is pulling you in different directions.

For me, freelancing beats the 9-5 any day. Being my own boss is the only way I could live.

But dealing with the variety of roles – something most of us actually want – can be its own double-edged sword.

So remember…

If this is project management, you are the manager AND the project.

How do you deal with juggling multiple roles?

Do you go seat-of-the-pants?

Or do you have a system that works best for you?

I’d love to hear you thoughts in the comments.