I am relatively good at managing time at work. I manage myself pretty effectively and therefor do well in jobs with minimal supervision. I do, however like to have knowledgeable and helpful supervisors and managers who are there as a resource too, but as far as micro-managing goes, I don't need it.
The past two weeks have been truly an exercise of endurance. With a massively complicated deliverable going out and perfection being our only option in execution, it's been a non-stop deluge of work both on work hours and well outside my regular work hours. Despite a hectic pace and short-deadline, I have still managed my time very well.
I am just wondering what I can do to manage my time better with such a heavy workload compared to the more "regular" hours that I worked in previous months? I don't think that things will slow down or get less crazy and I still need to keep developing my writing and trying to get a client base. I'm truly drained lately when I come home I have almost no creative energy left at night.
More "to-do" lists? More caffeine? Less sleep? More weekend hours? All of the above?
Any full-time freelancers or part-timers have any advice for time management under hectic full-time job conditions?
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What I do know is that you can't run yourself into the ground, if only for health reasons.
When I was first preparing to leave my full-time job, I was working my regular hours during the day, and freelancing at the Sun at night. It was exhausting, but I knew it was only temporary (just under two months), which made it more bearable.
After that, I started interning at Nerve during the day, and continued doing night shifts at the paper. This lasted for a more extended period of time, and I became depressed and chronically sick. I never saw my husband, I started taking meal from the vending machine, and I gained about a trillion pounds.
While it can help to pay your dues for a limited period of time, it doesn't pay to burn yourself out and make yourself sick. Even if you're putting a small amount of effort toward your freelance career, it's something.
Perhaps give yourself an extra half hour in the morning or an hour in the evening to work on freelance stuff. Or schedule freelance hours over the weekend. Make sure you limit yourself, though, because a life without balance for an extended period of time isn't really worth living.
I was going to respond to your comment in here, but I wrote a post on it instead haha. Everything you said is very true. Losing balance has a domino effect.
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