Sep 8, 2020
The Secret to Juggling Several Projects at Once
Without reducing the quality of work you produce
I’ve gotten many reviews about my ability to juggle several projects and turn them in before deadlines, and it’s all thanks to the system I created.
The most exciting part about freelancing is getting booked up to your neck. We all know that freelancing is a feast or famine game, but if you play your cards right, you can make your period of feasting longer.
Juggling different projects is a skill that every freelancer has to learn.
One thing you should avoid is turning in below-par results just because you have different jobs to submit. You should ensure that every project you turn in is of high quality.
In a week, I submit an average of 8 articles to my clients. So, how do I handle all these and still create content for my Medium profile?
I use calendars.
I like to go to sleep with a plan of the articles I have to complete and submit the following day. My mornings can go both ways, either I wake up, do some chores and start watching a series, or I wake up and go straight to work.
Usually, the latter is when I get the best results.
Then I set timelines.
It’s almost impossible for me to sit down for 2 hours straight, working. I’ve tried it several times, but it never seems to work. So, what I do is I work for 45–60 minutes then take a 5–10 minutes break. If I try to work longer than that, It’s the same as me deceiving myself.
The essence of this is productivity.
Even when I read for exams in school, I usually don’t read longer than 30 minutes, no matter how interesting the course is. I’d get tired or restless. So, that’s when I learned that working for hours on end is not productive for me.
So, back to arranging the projects I do, I try not to start another project until I complete one. I’ve tried to start another project, but it never turns out good. I’ve learned that if I start another project, it will be hard for me to remember the points I have created in my head for the previous one.
So to avoid this, I gamify the process. I set deadlines for myself. When it’s getting late, I will use sleep as a reward. I’d tell myself that if I don’t complete the project, I won’t sleep, so I’d sit there working till I finish.
It always works because I work faster, with my eyes almost closing, so that I can get some sleep.
Deadlines are crucial. I wrote an article some time ago about how deadlines make the completion of projects more manageable, so I’ve learned to include it in my process.
Another thing I do is,
Set particular days to complete specific projects.
I mentally list out articles that I have to complete that day. I know my strength, so I set my goals accordingly. Then I move on.
If I’m meant to complete three articles that day, I will divide my day into 3: morning, afternoon, and night.
These points are pretty basic, but they work for me. One point you should especially take note of is not to start another project when you’ve not completed the previous one. It messes with your creative process.
You can leave it after you’ve completed the first draft, but never half-way-way. Because when you leave your articles half-way, remembering the materials and the tabs you’ve opened can be a bit difficult.
So, what’s my top secret to juggling different projects? Set deadlines for yourself and obey them.
It strengthens your discipline.
Thank you for reading
