{"id":60864,"date":"2025-06-20T15:50:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T15:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?p=60864"},"modified":"2025-07-08T18:10:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T18:10:35","slug":"how-to-manage-your-time-as-a-freelancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-your-time-as-a-freelancer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Manage Your Time as a Freelancer: 3 Perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kayleigh at Creative Circle<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that more than <\/span>60% of new freelancers<\/span><\/a> fail to earn a sustainable income within their first year?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While there are many reasons for this, one of the biggest culprits is poor time management. When you\u2019re your own boss, project manager, and HR department, it\u2019s easy to let deadlines slip, boundaries blur, and burnout creep in.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Creative Circle, we\u2019ve been <\/span>helping freelancers thrive<\/span><\/a> for over 20 years. So, we reached out to three of our most trusted, long-tenured freelancers \u2014 each with 30+ hours of freelance work per week \u2014 to get their best time management tips. These folks have seen prepared and timely clients, the emergent-fire-alarm type clients, five-hour work weeks, and 60-hour work weeks. Through it all, they consistently hit deadlines and keep their client roster full without sacrificing (too much of) their sanity.\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet the Pros\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/span>Chris Latragna<\/span><\/b> has 16+ years of experience in video production and motion graphics, 14 of which he\u2019s spent freelancing. He\u2019s the kind of guy who gets his best work done while the rest of us are sleeping in on a Sunday. Monday morning deadlines? He welcomes them with open arms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nDorey Kronick <\/span><\/b>runs her own business and <\/span>has been freelancing with Creative Circle for 12 years. She\u2019s a creative director, graphic designer, and photographer whose branding and website designs are always in demand. She may work untraditional hours, but when it comes to time management, she\u2019s as analog as they come<\/span> \u2014<\/span> think paper planners, Post-its, and color-coded pens.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>
\n<\/span>Steve Summers <\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>is a video editor with over a decade of full-time freelancing under his belt. He\u2019s a structure-loving, software-using, boundary-setting pro who sticks to a traditional work schedule and still finds time to enjoy life offline.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips to Manage Your Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Build out a schedule.<\/a>
\nBe realistic when planning and prioritizing.<\/a>
\nDiligently track your time.<\/a>
\nCommunicate<\/a>.
\nGet comfortable saying “No.”<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Build out a schedule that works for you. <\/span>\ud83d\udcc5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all schedule in freelancing. Half the beauty of freelance is you get to work when you<\/strong> do your best work (so long as you meet your deadlines). Find your rhythm and stick to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m absolutely a night owl. I get my best creative work done at night when I have no distractions. When my clients wake up, my work is waiting for them in their inbox\u2026and I don’t have to start my next work day at 9:00 AM.\u201d \u2014 Dorey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the traditional 9\u20135 hours just make sense. I\u2019m on when my clients are on and I\u2019m off when Friends<\/em> is on\ud83d\udcfa (am I dating myself?). I\u2019m not saying I won\u2019t work in the evening \u2014 I will if a project needs my attention \u2014 but that is never the expectation. If I stray away from my schedule too often, the lines of work\/home start to blur.\u201d \u2014 Steve<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday mornings before everyone gets up! That\u2019s my most productive time, so that\u2019s when I work.\u201d \u2014 Chris<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Whether you\u2019re a morning person, a night owl, or a weekend warrior, own it! It\u2019ll shine through in your work.<\/p>\n

2. <\/strong><\/span>Be realistic when planning and prioritizing your tasks.<\/span> \u270f\ufe0f\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Project timelines shouldn\u2019t be a random guess; they should be calculated by how long it has taken you to do similar work (and then some). Consider your commitments to other clients before agreeing to new projects. Keep yourself organized with task management tools such as Asana<\/a>, or old-school pen and paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery month, week, and day, I write down my client projects in a paper planner. I also have color-coded lists taped to my wall. I\u2019ve never been late turning in a project with this method!\u201d \u2014 Dorey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as you have the due date, you must work backwards to set a timeline and start prioritizing. Estimate how long things will take, be honest with yourself, and build in some wiggle room.\u201d \u2014 Steve<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to get asked daily how long something will take. You\u2019ll never know exactly but you\u2019ll get better at estimating. Don\u2019t forget to factor in revisions and meetings. Then check in with yourself daily \u2014 where are you ahead? Where are you falling behind?\u201d \u2014 Chris<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Without careful planning and prioritization, it\u2019ll start to feel like you\u2019re working all the time, or you\u2019ll be haphazardly jumping project to project with no real grasp of how much time you\u2019re actually spending on each one.<\/p>\n

3. <\/strong><\/span>Diligently track your time.<\/span> \u23f1\ufe0f<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re billing hourly or tracking against your project-based pricing, find a way to track your time daily so you don\u2019t cut yourself short on payment. Having your time on record is helpful for future project planning, too!<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m old-school \u2014 I write my start and stop times on a Post-it and enter them later.\u201d \u2014 Dorey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI use a tool called Thyme; it\u2019s a simple Mac app. It\u2019s like a project stopwatch. I tend to pop back and forth between clients all day, so I make sure I track every minute.\u201d \u2014 Steve<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI jot everything down in a notebook at the end of the day. You get good at remembering once you\u2019ve done it enough. But make sure to do it daily; your memory will get fuzzy if you wait until the end of the week.\u201d \u2014 Chris<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Find a system that works for you. Here are a few popular software options: Harvest<\/a> and Office Time<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Clear communication is truly the nucleus of freelancing \u2014 it helps avoid misunderstandings and builds better relationships with your clients.<\/p>\n

\u201cI let my clients know where I\u2019m at in terms of capacity from the get-go, and consult with them to figure out how we can all get our needs met realistically.\u201d \u2014 Dorey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication is essential to succeed. Ask questions, give honest answers, probe when the client is unclear with direction, and make sure their expectations are crystal clear. Put everything in writing so if you run into issues on either end, you have it for reference.\u201d \u2014 Steve<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBefore you accept a gig and take off running, ask all the questions you need to make sure the project stays on track. Remember, you\u2019re the expert in this relationship and they\u2019re coming to you for help. Guide and shape the project if needed based on your experience.\u201d \u2014 Chris<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Set expectations early, check in often, and don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions.<\/p>\n

5. Get comfortable saying “No.” \ud83d\ude45\ud83c\udffd<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your business is turn down a project.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a while, you\u2019ll start to build up Spidey senses on which projects are good and which projects to stay away from. Little red flags such as, continually unclear project outlines and expectations, work for \u2018exposure,\u2019 and poor communication from the client can be tricky. If your gut is telling you something is off, follow it. The payout won\u2019t be worth the headache.\u201d \u2014 Steve<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIf a client is asking for something that’s entirely unrealistic, I let them know \u2014 but in a kind, respectful, and down-to-earth way. They may genuinely have no idea of how wild their ask is.\u201d \u2014 Dorey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m too busy or it\u2019s not something I can deliver well, I say no. Or I explain what I can do instead. If you\u2019re managing your time well, you should be able to say no or manipulate deadlines with more confidence. And for me personally, I don\u2019t disclose my workload with other clients. They don\u2019t need to know that; I want them to feel like they\u2019re the only one.\u201d \u2014 Chris<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Freelancing can be a dream job<\/a> \u2014 but only if you plan and manage your time like a pro. Whether you\u2019re a pen-to-paper creative like Dorey, a weekend warrior like Chris, or a structure-loving editor like Steven, the key is to find what works for you and stick with it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for work, check out the dozens of open roles posted on our website.<\/a> And if this advice has been helpful to you, follow us on LinkedIn<\/a> and check our career resources page<\/a> to explore jobseeking insights from our hiring experts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kayleigh at Creative Circle Did you know that more than 60% of new freelancers fail to earn a sustainable income within their first year?\u00a0\u00a0 While there are many reasons for this, one of the biggest culprits is poor time management. When you\u2019re your own boss, project manager, and HR department, it\u2019s easy to let […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":60892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,76,94,87],"tags":[413,83,415,411,417,410,414,409,416,412],"class_list":["post-60864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-creative-insights","category-life-as-a-freelancer","category-lifestyle","category-perspectives","tag-creative-work","tag-freelance","tag-freelance-schedule","tag-fulltime-freelance","tag-perspectives","tag-schedule","tag-scheduling","tag-time-management","tag-time-tracking","tag-timelines"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Manage Your Time as a Freelancer: 3 Perspectives | Creative Circle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The key to a successful freelancing career is proper time management and scheduling 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