I've been self-employed since finishing NYSC. And I've switched roles from being a peanut Fiverr folk to earning a decent $2000 (over N1.4M) monthly.

I can tell you emphatically that being a freelancer is both a blessing and a curse.

One day you feel energized and can sit at the PC for hours. On other days, you feel drained and can pack much of a punch.

How do you balance this to make sure you are never missing out on deadlines?

1. See yourself as being employed by a company

Act like you're employed by a dream company. Take a shower in the morning. Dress yourself up and match down to your work sit to kickstart your day. This might look strange at first. But it'll help you maximize your time in the long run

2. Leverage your productive hours
Each person has their best moments. For some, it's the morning. For others, it's at night. Find out what works for you and maximize that short window. Take away distractions during those hours. Remove your phone. Get away from friends, etc.

3. Have a buddy
If you struggle to focus, you'll struggle to meet deadlines or hit targets. It's not only effective to try to fix this alone. You should find someone with a common interest who can support you and check on you regularly. Set breaks for the person to check on each other.


What about you? What work for you? Let's learn from each other.