The Life Changing Magic of Deep Work for Freelancers
Focusing deeply is the answer to achieving more in less time.
Deep work is when you focus really hard on one thing for a long time without getting distracted.
Imagine being so focused that you temporarily drown out everything around you.
When you do deep work, you can get more things done and do them better.
Sounds immaculate, right?
If you’re not doing deep work yet, it’s not too late. This temporary intense focus on a certain goal is 100% doable.
Deep work is a term from my 2023.
I was scrolling through Twitter on a random day last January and found a tweet saying how deep work changed their life. I was about to read past it.
I read the tweet, liked it, and put down my phone to reflect.
I then realized that I have been doing this ‘deep work’ that a lot of people have been raving about.
I’ve talked about what a day in my life looks life.
My typical weekday starts with a sexy glass of iced coffee, and ends with a peaceful decompressing hour to get my body ready for bed.
Do you see how much time I spend with ‘freelance work’ on a typical weekday? That’s roughly 9 hours of working on my freelance projects, building my personal brand, and doing the nitty gritty admin work as a self-employed human being.
I’m not gonna lie, it’s been exhausting.
The good news is, that’s not what my day looks like anymore.
Deep work is not a constant thing that will stay as it is forever.
It is relative and looks different for everyone.
I used to do my deep work in the afternoon but now I found another time frame that works for me. Mornings and evenings.
From the uninspiring 9 hours a day, I managed to tweak my life and reduce my working hours to an average of 5 hours a day. Check out my Toggl track record from last week:
When I said I tweaked my life, I meant that I actually forced myself to think of ways on how I can spend less time but produce more value.
But in order for the life-changing magic of deep work to happen, distractions need to be eliminated.
Here are 3 things I actually did to tweak my life for deep work:
I tracked my sweet time on Toggl.
Tracking time on Toggl is a game-changer if you want to incorporate more deep work into your routine.
By keeping track of how much time you spend on specific tasks each day, you can point out which activities are the most productive and where you need to do some tweaking.
The result? You can allocate your time more effectively, making sure that you have enough uninterrupted periods for deep work.
Ultimately, tracking your time on Toggl can help you make the most of your workday, leading to higher-quality work and a more rewarding freelance career. I mean, who doesn’t love that?
I left my phone in another room.
You might have heard this tip from A LOT of people recently and let me tell you: it is damn effective.
I have this cute phone stand on my desk which I bought last year to serve one purpose: to have my phone sit comfortably as it faces me while I work on my desktop.
Now my cute phone stand stands alone because my phone is nowhere near me. After 3 months of following this ever-popular tip, I found that leaving my phone in the bedroom is the most effective technique to shut out distractions.
I took myself out more.
Yes, I do go on dates and that’s why I keep loving my life.
Taking breaks is essential for deep work because it helps prevent burnout and keeps your mind fresh and focused. Just the way you want it to be.
When you work for painfully long periods without taking breaks, your brain gets fried and tired. Best believe your productivity will also follow a downhill slope.
Use your breaks to take a walk, meditate, or do something else that helps you relax and recharge your batteries. For me, that’s dressing up and picking out a new place for lunch.
The magic of deep work is life-changing.
These 2 words allow you to focus intensely on your work, achieve more in less time, and produce higher quality results. Deep work helps you shut out distractions and interruptions.
Because of this, I was able to enter a state of flow where my productivity and creativity are at their peak.
If I can do it, you can too.
Remember that deep work is not a constant thing that will stay as it is forever. It is relative and looks different for everyone. After all, we are unique human beings with different approaches to how we work.
The key is to find what works best for you and tweak your life accordingly. You can make the most of your workday, which also means higher-quality work and a more rewarding freelance career. So, give it a try and see how the life-changing magic of deep work can transform your work and personal life.
If you enjoyed this, you’ll love the 4 Actionable Solutions I Do To Survive Freelancer Burnout. I wrote this story with fried and uninspired freelancers in mind. Lastly, please don’t hesitate to connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn. I’d be happy to spend some 1:1 time with you to help you build a profitable and rewarding freelance career.
