Freelancing offers you the flexibility to work whenever and however you want. This means that you are in charge of your time, and there is no one to supervise you. At times, this can turn out to be counterproductive, as you may find yourself losing focus or starting to procrastinate. Therefore, it is imperative that you consider every single detail and keep yourself aligned with the work and avoid any possible distractions.
Fortunately, there are numerous time management tools and other productivity tools out there that can prevent any possibility of losing track. I personally use many tools and have hand-picked a few productivity tools for you that can perform various functions, from setting goals to tracking your self-performance as a freelancer.
1Password
As a freelancer, you need to set login credentials for quite a number of websites and accounts. It is often a cumbersome task to switch to different accounts while working on the same PC. 1Password is a digital asset management software which makes the job easier for you by storing all your login information, and when you try to access one of your accounts, you do not need to remember your login credentials each time as it is filled in for you automatically by the 1password Chrome extension.
At times, we come across random useful content while using the internet, and we typically prefer bookmarking them for later use. But what if you have an option to save them for future reference? Thanks to productivity tools for Windows such as ‘Pocket’, which allows you to save valuable resources seamlessly and conveniently, be it an article, a link, or a video. The saved information can be accessed any time and anywhere across multiple devices.
Text Expander
If you’re a freelancer, you cannot do without writing. Obviously, some freelancers need to write a lot more than others. If you choose to write the same phrase over and over again, you can consider saving these phrases for later use. Text Expander is a productivity tool that helps you do this—at a monthly fee of $3.33 (which is almost equivalent to the price of a cup of coffee). With Text Expander, you can easily assign shortcuts to these phrases without having to manually type them each time. For instance, if you find that you need to type your address quite often, assigning a shortcut such as “address” can be of great help. As Text Expander comes with a paid plan, you can try out a similar alternative tool such as Auto Text Expander Chrome extension.
Marinara Pomodoro Assistant
With so many distractions around, focusing on the task at hand seems to be an uphill battle. Pomodoro technique has long been used to boost productivity at work and study. But, you may not like the idea of a break after repeated intervals of 25 minutes. With Marinara Pomodoro Assistant, you can set up your own custom timer depending on the volume of work that needs to be done and your personal preferences. Install its Chrome extension and do the necessary settings such as choosing the duration of a pomodoro cycle or applying any notification sound. It’s that simple!
Meister Task
Having worked in the corporate sector for some time, I completely switched to freelancing in the year 2019. While this transition wasn’t easy, one thing I learnt was that freelancing requires a lot more clarity as to what needs to be done and how much time should be devoted to a particular task. Since you are your own boss as a freelancer, you juggle between multiple roles because of which, the chance of getting stuck and demotivated is on the higher side. That’s when I found this amazing free project management app for freelancers called MeisterTask which allows me to sync my calendar, create projects and assign tasks and even track my time that have cumulatively improved my productivity to the next level.
Calendly
You might find yourself spending a lot of time in communicating about scheduled, re-scheduled or cancelled meetings. This is where Calendly—an online collaboration software for freelancers, can help you by enabling you to share a simple link, which the recipient can use to book a meeting at a time-slot that suits your availability. With an excellent integration with Office 365, Google and Outlook, Calendly becomes a perfect tool for both freelancers and remote workers. This avoids any possibility of double booking or any other schedule conflict. What’s more, Calendly provides mobile support and utility and offers a smooth user experience across devices. The confirmation system and custom reminders makes it easier for its users to send automated invites to the appropriate recipients.
Conclusion
The ideal productivity tools could have a significant difference in the expansion of your business. Productivity tools (remote working) are essential for freelancers to avoid the stress that comes from a feeling of burnout. Owing to their credibility and utility, productivity tools and other project management software have swiftly grown to be a crucial component of a freelancer's business.
If you are looking for ways to be more productive or need freelancing tips, check out my article on productivity.
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