Five Effective Practices from the Commuter Workforce that I Use as a Freelancer – PART ONE

In my prior collection of commuter jobs, I saw enough co-workers engaging in workplace shenanigans to know that dressing in business attire or a uniform isn’t quite enough to maintain professionalism. There are facets of human nature that always seep through no matter the front you put on. So why do so many work-from-home articles advise dressing-up just to sit in your own living room?

I have adopted five items from my personal experience in the commuter workforce that help me as a freelance writer. These five things keep my work running smoothly. And, no, it does not involve pulling on pantyhose or having to iron a blouse that no one will see. Let’s be practical.

Here’s my top five:

• Meditative Mornings and Active Afternoons
• Chunking Non-billable Items
• Get Your Team on Board
• No-Work Zones
• Keep at it

Meditative Mornings and Active Afternoons

When I was teaching, the most difficult time to get the class to focus was directly following a period of physical activity. It’s not to say that recess, sports, or physical education is a bad thing—far from it! But, the transition from movement to deep concentration is a tricky one for most people to master. So, unless you are freelancing as a Tai-Chi instructor, you’ll need to figure out how to arrange the day to harness this natural phenomenon.

As a schoolteacher I had little control over scheduling. I simply had to corral the students and shift their focus as best I could. In my office jobs, I had more say over when I set out to perform certain tasks (within reason). What I concluded was that placing items that require uninterrupted concentration earlier in the day led to more productivity. In one administrative job, I had a boss who allowed me to flex my day to start earlier than the standard “office hours,” which had multiple beneficial outcomes.

Similarly, anything that was movement-based, interactive, or repetitive was best kept until after lunchtime. As a freelance writer, I structure my day to perform the bulk of my writing in the morning—the earlier, the better. Then, I can run my errands, go to the gym, and enjoy a neighbourhood stroll in the afternoon when my energy levels are higher.

Chunking Non-billable Items

The above point illustrates how I’ve learned to structure my day overall. What about the minute details and necessary items like reading email, updating website and social media materials, and filing? Yes, filing. The concept of chunking related tasks is not a new one, but applying it to freelance writing may be its own sort of puzzle. As a freelance writer, you need to write; however, you must also engage in a variety of writing-related tasks plus take care of the business side. There is no shortage of things to do, and they are not all paid.

When I was working as a personal trainer, I needed to be 100% focused on my client during the hour that I was being paid to do so. But there was more to the job than just one-on-one coaching. I learned by observing other trainers. The trainers with the most long-term clients were also the ones who could tune-out distractions during the training session. These professionals conducted themselves with intention and set specific time blocks aside for sending appointment reminders, updating client files, and prospecting for new clients. This is in addition to spending the time and concentration on individual client program design.

On the flip side, trainers who seemed to have a plethora of short-term, non-committal clients and a lot of vacant bookings were the ones who checked themselves in the mirror while a client struggled under heavy dumbbells. These were the trainers who answered phone calls or chatted with other gym members during the client’s paid time. They would spend extra energy doing personal workouts instead of devoting time blocks to prospecting, program design, and communicating with current clients.

Freelance writing is a long game. You’ll need to treat each new project with long-term client retention in mind. Chunk your tasks so that you conduct yourself with intention.  Stop checking your inbox every five minutes. Stop getting sucked-in to time-zapping social media feeds. Quit getting up to visit the kitchen every ten minutes. These are all easier said than done, but you’ll need to have a structure in place that pulls your attention to your work rather than giving-in to distractions. As I said, there is no shortage of things to do. Set boundaries for your tasks within each day.

Stay tuned for PART TWO of this topic where I’ll cover the remaining three practices that I have adopted from the commuter workforce. In the meantime, start the discussion below by telling me about some of your commuter jobs or methods for organizing your freelance work. Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.

Cover Image: Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com