Freelance business owners have unique challenges when it comes to organizing to-dos. As a service provider and business owner, freelancers often have to prioritize tasks for multiple projects that may have similar deadlines in addition to taking care of their own business.
The result: Sometimes the to-do list can get out of control.
We asked the Upwork Facebook community how they manage their priorities when it feels like they have a million things to wrap up. Here’s a look at what they had to say.
“What works best for me is that I do the easiest or quickest to accomplish first and then proceed to the more difficult tasks.”
– Joyce Diana
“I try to sort them by their level of difficulty and time consumption, then I alternate which tasks I do. First I will do one that’s quick, then a lengthier one, then another quick one, etc. It makes a balanced flow. It always works out well in the end!”
– Matt Fiedler
“I usually contemplate the most vital tasks and those with closer deadlines. Beforehand, I [write] a clearly mapped to-do list on a day-to-day basis, and an estimate of [how long each item will take]. This [creates] less hustle and bustle [than] not knowing what to do at a given time. This strategy has always been of merit to my projects and activities.”
– Muturi James
“Make a list (either by due date or by task size) and literally start working immediately. If there are a million things on your to-do list, chances are you’re already behind on some of them. Go step-by-step, don’t overthink, and accept the chance of not doing everything as perfectly as you imagined you would. Of course, never offer sub-par work to your clients; if you can’t make it, ask for a deadline push.”
– Ivan Vukovic
“Schedule time for each [task], and for that time concentrate only on that task.”
– Ashling Fenton
“I arrange my tasks depending on their deadlines so that I will be able to finish everything on time. It is important to be organized; that’s why I use a notebook to list down all of my tasks for the day and arrange them by priority so that I do not miss anything. Identifying which ones are urgent for the day helps me prioritize which tasks to do first. It is also important to know which tasks are vital—if you miss them today, [there will be] serious consequences. With this, I am able to adjust my workload by prioritizing what is more important. Lastly, DON’T PANIC! It’s important for me to keep my calm and focus on tasks one at a time. I try to avoid multitasking as it can be counterproductive to my output.”
– Charles Rafferty Sy
What tips for prioritizing your to-do list can you add? Tell us in the comments!
Editor’s note: Responses edited for grammar, spelling, and clarity. The statements above are those of their authors and do not constitute the views or opinions of Upwork.
The post Taking Control of Your To-Do List appeared first on Upwork Blog.
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