As a freelance writer one of your most important tasks has to be managing your workload. You have to keep on top of deadlines and you need to be able to see what you have to do. The best way to do this is to have a to-do-list.
I am probably a little outdated in this approach as I prefer to use a good old fashioned pen and paper. I like to have my diary beside me as I work so that I can see exactly what needs to be done and mark it off as I do it. Every morning I sit down and write a list of the things that I need to get done that day. I normally mark them in order of priority which means client work comes first on my list.
I always make sure to mark deadline dates in my diary too and I do try my best to get any projects finished a day or two before the deadline which leaves me free to do any revisions if they are needed. This normally doesn’t happen which is great and it leaves me with some free time to research for future blog posts and do some additional job hunting and marketing.
There are other alternatives to using a diary and pen for your to-do-list and there are some great software programs out there. I have used a number of them before but found that I always returned to my diary. The thing with these programs is that you have to keep them open on your computer which I always forgot to do. You also have to input all the details etc. I’m sure there are programs that work really well and if you have any suggestions, be sure to add them to the comments section.
In research this article there were so many different to-do-list software applications that it was hard to know where to begin. I did however find a blog post that lists 25 to-do-lists to help you stay productive. Unfortunately this blog is no longer being maintained but you might find the tool you have been looking for in this list.
Are you a pen and paper freelance writer or have your found the perfect piece of software? Why not share your stories; I’d love to hear them.
Until next time,
Keep Writing.
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good to see this…
Thanks Dean,
Had a look at your website, some great poems there will be back to read more as soon as I have more time. Thanks for visiting my blog hope to see you here again soon.
Amanda
Amanda,
I’m a BIG believer in to do lists. Been using them for 20 years now. it is a simple and effective system for keeping on top of things. I make the list each day, add the things I didn’t get done from the previous day and keep all of them in a folder because they tend to be my notes page as well where I’ll write phone numbers and such.
George
Thanks George,
Sounds like your a pen and page person too. I like to be able to look back over the days to see what I have done and like you if I have any phone numbers or emails they are easy to find.
Amanda