Creating Accountability as a Freelancer: 3 Tips & Tricks

When I first started as a freelancer, I quickly took to the life style of being able to control my own hours. I absolutely love the freedom that comes with being able to work on my own— no one is setting a schedule for me, or expecting me in at work at a certain time, or telling me I can’t take vacation whenever I want. Honestly it’s one of the best perks of the job.

However, as with many other things in life, there’s a downside to this kind of freedom: it comes with a lot of personal responsibility and accountability. That was a struggle for me early on in life, and one that I have worked on through the years. Thankfully now I have years of experience behind me. Hopefully I can help someone starting out now with accountability as a freelancer.

productivitySamer AbousalbiOctober 19, 2015freelancer, freelancing, tips and tricks, accountability

Practical Productivity Tips: Use Routines To Get More Done

Routines get a bad rap. Whenever I hear the word routine, my first thought is that it's like you’re in a rut, and you aren’t exciting or spontaneous. That’s just not true though— routines are actually really great life hacks, and can open you up to being more spontaneous and interesting. If you're interested in maximizing your productivity, then learning about the power of routines is one simple way to get the most out of your day.

Routines, at least in the context of a daily schedule, can free your mind up to think on other things. Your brain gets used to routines and starts processing them using the more primitive, and automatic part of our brain. That means that you higher functioning brain (the neocortex) can focus on way more interesting things. As an example, this is basically the process that occurs when you finally learn how to drive (or ride a bike, or do any new task).

productivitySamer AbousalbiSeptember 28, 2015tips and tricks, freelancer, freelancing

Creative Freelancers: Get out of your head!

Working as a creative freelancer or indie developer can be incredibly rewarding. It's a chance to come up with ideas, build them out, and ship them out to the world.

It’s understandable to be afraid of what other people might think of our work. That work came from our inspiration, our ideas, our hard work, and so on. Our personalities, history, and ideas are baked right in. It's really easy to fear all the critics out there--what will people think of this? Unfortunately there's one critic that is the worst of them all, and it's the most important to silence.

productivity, creativitySamer AbousalbiSeptember 25, 2015freelancer, freelancing

Must Have Freelancer Tools

There are many things that one may need while going through the process of becoming a freelancer. Self-discipline and an awesome work ethic are definitely at the top of the list. But what about actual tools? Being a freelancer is like owning your own business and wearing all the hats. A freelancer needs to be equipped to handle all of those responsibilities.

Here's a quick list of the most important tools (in no particular order) that a freelancer needs.

productivityCarolina Da SilvaSeptember 11, 2015freelancer, freelancing

Freelancing Tips and Tricks: 5 Helpful Tips for Freelancers

Every day is different for freelancers. You make your own hours, and do different tasks for different clients. You have productive days and non-productive days. The best thing to do is to take full advantage of your productive days! When you're feeling motivated, go ahead and pull out all the stops.

Here are a few tricks to help optimize your productive days.

productivityCarolina Da SilvaAugust 25, 2015freelancer, freelancing, tips and tricks

Freelancing Tips and Tricks: 4 Benefits of Time Keeping

So you're a freelancer. You make your own hours and you're in control of what you do and how you do it. You've heard the phrase "time is money," and for you, that is the truth! But what happens when you lose track of time either while you're working, or during your leisure hours?

It's so easy to lose control when you answer to no one but yourself. It helps when you answer to a timer.

Here are four major benefits of time keeping:

productivityCarolina Da SilvaAugust 4, 2015freelancer, time management, freelancing, tips and tricks

The Productivity Monk