Try Time Blocking to Replace To-Do Lists

Posted: May 16, 2017

To-do lists aren't always a freelance writer's friend. Not finishing everything on the list can lead to all-nighters and being under stress to meet deadlines. Time blocking can be a much more effective time management tool. Knowing what you need to do, and how long it will take to do it, enables you to create a time blocking system that can lead to less stress and completed tasks. Nicole Dieker, writer for The Write Life, shares how to manage a lengthy to-do list.

Forget Your Endless To-Do List: Try Time Blocking Instead

Are you the kind of writer who’s always worried about meeting deadlines? Do you begin every day with a to-do list and end it with only half of the items done? Do you get stuck working late, staying up all night with a draft or sending apology notes to editors? At least half of being a successful freelance writer is time management. When you work in a career that pays by the project instead of by the hour, it’s to your advantage to maximize those hours and complete as much work as you can. It’s also good to get in the habit of meeting your deadlines, avoiding all-nighters and maintaining a work-life balance — especially if you plan on freelancing for the long haul. I’ve definitely done my share of working late, worrying about deadlines and writing overly ambitious to-do lists. But as I became a more experienced freelancer, I started learning how to time-block my freelance work: that is, to know not only what I’m going to do, but when I’m going to do it and how long it will take me. Read the entire article Forget Your Endless To-Do List: Try Time Blocking Instead on The Write Life.