As a freelancer/entrepreneur how are you structuring your workweek?

Question

The standard workweek is mon-fri, 8 hours a day. When you're free to create your own schedule how are you dealing with it?

Do you still work 40 hours a week? Are your days off Saturday and Sunday or have you changed it? Do you have a consistent schedule?

I'm an employee so I don't have as much freedom to experiment as I'd like, but I'm starting to think that working 8 hours straight at the same job is not that much more productive than 6 hours a day. At some point I'm just way less focused and able to perform.

Arseniy · Accepted Answer

I would reccomend using a task management tool which allows you to plan and then analyse how you work. Trello, WEEEK, and Asana all have free-to-use options as far as I'm aware.

Luis Gabriel Martins · Answer

@clare_leighton Yes, breaking the day is really important. I think transitioning to remote working I had less interruptions during work, which is good but also kept me forcing myself to concentrate for longer periods of time. Now I try to be more mindful about this productive times

Clare L · Answer

Your point about productivity is key...for me at least. I keep a task list and prioritise each week & day. I make the most of times I feel productive throughout the day, and take breaks, schedule other activities when I'm not as productive. 
Of course this is also dictated by meetings and accounting for overlap with other timezones I work with :)

Answer

It depends a lot on what you are doing. I deal with international vendors and business contacts in multiple timezones, so a traditional 40 hour work week is completely off the table for me. But there is one thing I know for certain; when you make the plunge and your passion project becomes your full time career, you will be a lot more motivated to work more than 8 hours a day. I found it harder to limit my hours, make sure I was taking care of myself, and not getting burned out. If you can, keep a schedule and try to maintain a routine. Track your accomplishments so you know how much progress you’re making. Evaluate and adjust your priorities often. That’s my best advice. Good luck!

As a freelancer/entrepreneur how are you structuring your workweek?

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