Working for yourself? Then you'll know that clients value punctuality almost as highly as that core skill you were hired for. So if you can't prioritise properly, your stress levels grow and your client list shrinks.
To borrow a phrase – the apps don't work, they just make you worse. If the likes of Trello and Monday.com have left you feeling even more overwhelmed, don't despair.
Every week at Union St, our co-working members can sit down together on a Wednesday lunchtime for Have I Got Views for You, an open group discussion on a chosen theme about the day-to-day realities of freelance and remote work.
So here are some proven alternatives for work prioritising, sourced direct from the Union St hive-mind, based on their collective decades of experience.
The MoSCoW method: Must, Should, Could, Won’t
The problem with using one list to label your tasks as high, medium and low is that, inevitably, everything ends up on the high list and you're back at square one.
So Ben, a website designer at Union St., breaks this cycle by splitting his day into clear behavioural categories:
Must – the "non-negotiable, needs to be done today" tasks
Should – the "if things go as planned today" tasks
Could – those jobs you might get round to today.
Won't – tasks you can't do today, or simply won’t get to in time.
As Ben says, "Instead of it being high, medium, low, I’m already engaging in the decision of how I’m going to approach my tasks [instead of just feeling stuck]. But keep the list to a maximum of 10, or you’ll get dispirited."
Calendar chunking: think time, not tasks
Many Union St members suggested getting rid of the to-do list entirely, and working from your calendar instead.
By chopping your working day into bite-sized chunks of time, with a task assigned to each slot, you can concentrate on – enjoy, even – one thing at a time, without fear of the looming to-do list.
Some freelancers are guilty of overworking and neglecting their personal lives. But Union St member Selina says "Don't ever schedule more than five hours of work a day, as you can't physically concentrate for that long."
By treating your personal life with the same respect as a client project, with blocks for exercise or hobbies, you’re more likely to find the fabled work-life balance – and feel less guilty about 'skipping' work. You may even find you’re more productive during hours you do work.
Setting caps and building boundaries
Good prioritisation involves you managing other people's expectations too. Many Union St members have said they're guilty of prioritising the loudest voice in their inbox over their quieter, less demanding clients.
To help combat this, the group had two main tactics. One is just a small shift, the other may require a more fundamental reassessment:
Check your emails at midday, not in the morning. You wake up full of good intentions to tick your 'must-do' tasks off, only to be derailed by an unexpected email – good or bad. But by waiting until lunchtime to check your emails, you'll make sure you're proactive with your goals, instead of reactive to other people's demands.
Learn the power of the word 'no'. Remember, your work is just one element of a fulfilled life. At times, building your career may rightly be your biggest priority. But at others, it may be family, community or your hobbies. If you're facing burnout, or struggling to get work done, consider taking a step away. You may return with fresh energy and enthusiasm.
So what's the takeaway? There are lots of ways to think about work scheduling and prioritisation, but you don't need to figure it out alone. By stepping out of your home office, and joining a community of people facing similar challenges to yourself, you may find new ideas and new energy.
Dare we say it, perhaps it should be a new priority.
Every Wednesday lunchtime at Union St, our co-working community of freelancers, small business owners and remote workers informally discuss a different topic in Have I Got Views For You. Book a call with Matt to find out more about co-working at Union St.
