working from home might seem like a luxurious lifestyle, but if you don’t focus and use task management, it’s easy for half the day to slip away from you. Time management for freelancers is one of the most crucial aspects of working from home, and, when not figured out early on, can be detrimental to your freelance career.

I’ve been a freelancer for practically a year, and it was certainly a bit of a learning curve in the beginning. I’m here to share my own personal experiences so that you can skip a lot of the mistakes that I had to work through on my freelance journey.

At any given time, I have around 10-13 clients, so you can imagine how challenging it could get if I didn’t stay on top of everything!

This guide to time management will introduce you to all of the best ways to focus and get your tasks done by the deadline that you set with your clients. some of the time management suggestions might even surprise you.

Here are the best suggestions and time management tools for freelancers. 

Table of Contents
Why is Time management essential for Freelancers?
5 best Time management tools for Freelancers
15 top Time management suggestions for Freelancers
Now You know All about Time management for Freelancers

Why is Time management essential for Freelancers?

As a freelancer, you’re essentially you’re own boss. If you don’t stay on top of your deadlines and keep open lines of communication with your clients, it can get messy real quick and even be the end of your freelancing company. 

Everything you do is in your company’s name and when someone asks to speak to your manager, you are the manager!

By not getting your tasks done on time, you can lose clients and possibly have trouble finding future clients because you won’t have strong testimonials from people you’ve worked with in the past.

It can be pretty challenging to manage time as a freelancer, especially when you’re working from home so often. Your bed or couch might be calling your name, and it can be hard to fight off the urge to take a nap or go out to your preferred restaurant for a few hours instead of working.

How do I manage my time many efficiently as a freelancer?

Over the past 10 months, I’ve gone through lots of different trial and error programs and time-tracking tools until I finally found what works best for me.

I focus on using Asana to keep track of all of my work that’s due every day in conjunction with Google Calendar. I also track all of my time using a very easy web app called Clockify, but much more on that in the next section.

I work to keep myself in a routine, similar to if I was working in an office.

I start my workday around 9 a.m. and also take around a 30-minute lunch break about halfway through the day. Some days I even finish my work a lot earlier in the day which is good because I can sort of do what I’d like for the afternoon — whether that’s doing a local hike in my area or catching up on my Netflix show.

I also always take breaks. When you’re sitting for a long time, it can be detrimental to both your physical and mental health. I try to get outside for a walk at least once a day, even if it’s just around my block for 5 minutes. getting fresh air helps a lot much more than you might think.

5 best Time management tools for Freelancers

Luckily, we are living in the 21st century, so there are tons of time management tools out there that make freelancing even easier. below are a few of the best and top recommended time management tools for freelancers.

1. Clockify

Like discussed earlier, Clockify is a time-tracking tool that is really one of the most essential parts of my company that help me stay on track.

You can create different projects through Clockify, such as setting up projects for each of your clients so you can see exactly how much time you’re spending on each item on your to-do list.

What makes Clockify one of the best time management tools for freelancers is that it also provides fun reports and charts that you can look at, so you can easily see how much time you’re spending on client A versus client B.

This is the ideal way to see if you’re charging the best amount for your projects as well. If something is taking 80% of your time, then it might be worth upping the price for that type of project in the future.

There is both a paid and totally free version of Clockify, but as a freelancer, you only need the totally free version. To clock time even quicker, be sure to download either the Clockify Chrome extension or the app. Be sure to connect it with your project management systems too!2. Toggl

Toggl, like Clockify, is a time-tracking tool that numerous people promise by. It doesn’t offer as numerous reporting features as Clockify, but it does offer integrations including with Todoist, Asana, Basecamp, and Trello so that you can easily clock your time while working and checking things off your to-do list.

Because Toggl doesn’t have as numerous other features, it’s very easy to use if you’re new to time-tracking tools. You can create projects for different clients as with Clockify, and all you have to do is click the start and stop button to get started. The totally free version is ideal for freelancers.

3. Asana

I promise by Asana. After trying out tons of different project management systems to help me stay on top of my to-do list, I’ve found it to be the best.

It’s very easy to use, has a spotless interface, and allows you to add in guests in case you want to run certain things by your clients for approval before scheduling (such as social media content calendars).

With Asana, you can create different project types, see all of the items that you have to complete, and even connect with Google Calendar. Asana also has its own calendar view setting which makes it easy to see just how much you have on your plate at any given time.

Within each task that you create on Asana, you can also create a whole bunch of subtasks, add in notes, and even connect to Clockify or Toggl to track your time.

If you’re a graphic designer, Asana also has easy tools for you to store certain resources for your clients — like fonts, mood boards, and hex codes that are pertinent for branding.

There’s a totally free and paid version, but I’ve found that the totally free version suits all of my needs. As your freelance company grows and you begin to hire some assistants to help you out, you might want to bump up to the paid company plan.

4. ClickUp

ClickUp is a project management/time management tool that is also outstanding like Asana but has a bit much more of a learning curve.

ClickUp certainly has much more options than Asana does, but it can be hard figuring out the difference between different boards. once you master it though, it’s really a powerful tool which is why it’s on this guide to time management.

Create different project boards, content calendars, lists, and more.

There are also 50+ different templates that you can easily use if you don’t want to take the time to set up each board on your own fully. There are boards for SEO management, blog posts, social media calendars, project management, and more.

ClickUp does have a totally free version, but depending on what features you want to use, you might have to change to the paid version. Unfortunately, unlike Asana, there isn’t a totally free trial period for you to see if you want to purchase the paid version.

5. Google Calendar

Surprisingly, Google calendar is one of the best tools for work at home time management. It’s completely totally free to use and can be critical when it concerns scheduling meetings and blocking out your day using the time-blocking method.

Each morning, consider mapping out your day and blocking out time periods for different tasks. This way, you won’t unintentionally spend the entire day on one project. Be sure to integrate Google calendar with the other tools you use to get the most out of it.

Honourable Mentions

Notion: This tool is sort of like an all-in-one note-taking and project management system.

Calendly: Easily let your clients schedule meetings with you without all of the back and forth. integrate with Google calendar for it to automatically show up on your calendar once it’s booked.

Harvest: This time management tool for freelancers is great if you plan on sending invoices. Track your time and then switch to the invoice tab and you’re all set.

Todoist: Make to-do lists best on your computer and connect them to your phone to stay on top of your tasks.

15 top Time management suggestions for Freelancers

Work at home time management can be difficult to keep on top of, especially if you’re just starting out in the freelancing world. use these task management suggestions for freelancers and be productive during the work day. 

1. Track Your Time

Time tracking for freelancers is often something that is overlooked, especially creatives. It can be easy to get sucked into working on a single project all day until it’s done, even if that implies staying up until you see the sunrise the very next day.

Use a time tracking tool like one of the ones discussed above, or even use the stopwatch on your phone if you want to get on top of time management for freelancers.

This is pertinent because then you can see if you are actually spending too much time on a project that you might not be getting a whole lot of money for. Or, if you’re simply taking too long to finish a task.

2. Take Breaks 

If you were working in an office, you’d be taking advantage of your breaks so that you could stop and chat with your coworkers for 15 minutes. So, don’t forget to take breaks while being a freelancer either! This is one of the most overlooked time management suggestions for freelancers.

Some of the best ways to spend breaks are on a walk around your neighbourhood, calling a friend, or even taking a quick power nap. If you really want to remind yourself to take breaks, consider using the Pomodoro Method, in which you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break, then start over!

3. give yourself set working Hours

New and experienced freelancers alike struggle with this tip, which is surprising. It can be tempting to answer an email or a message from one of your clients on the weekend, even if that’s not when you want to work.

So, give yourself set working hours, whether that’s 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. like an average office worker or even just 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. if that’s when you work best. You’re a freelancer, so you’re in charge of yourself.

As long as you’re productive during the work hours you set and you meet your client deadlines, then there’s nothing wrong with having shortened work hours each day. It’s one of the true benefits of working remotely, so take advantage of it.

Just make sure that you take the time to communicate with your clients about what your work hours are so that they don’t wonder why you aren’t answering their email at 11 p.m. on a Saturday. communication is key.

4. use a strong project management System

Applications like ClickUp or Asana can be important when it concerns staying on top of your projects. They are essentially digital versions of a planner, where you can set subtasks, due dates, and compile all of your notes in one place.

If you have other people that work with you, this is also a great way for you to delegate tasks and store your own brand assets. These project management systems help you manage your time well because you can easily see if you have a busy week coming up, so maybe you can start working on those tasks a bit earlier.

5. Prioritize Your Tasks

If you have a huge task that’s due in two days, then certainly that’s the one you ought to be spending your time on rather than the one that’s due in a week. Be sure to prioritize based on the due date and the amount of time that you think the task will take so that you don’t fall behind on your deadlines.

Project management systems or even a physical planner can be pertinent to helping you prioritize your tasks so that you stay on top of your dates and impress your clients.

6. consider Hiring Others to help You

If you find that you are having trouble keeping up with all of your deadlines, it might be time to hire a few freelancers of your own to help you out. Some places to search for remote workers that would be great for you to share your openings include sites like FlexJobs and Upwork.

When you hire someone else to help you meet due dates and better manage your time, you might have to raise your own personal rates so that you can pay an suitable amount to the workers under you. You’ll also have to consider the time that you will now have to spend delegating tasks and onboarding new workers.

7. get Rid of Distractions

Distractions are one of the worst parts of being a remote worker. Whether you’re on a beach and you’d rather go swimming with your friends, or you’re at home, and you’d rather be viewing your new TV episode, distractions can be really tempting.

Getting rid of distractions is one of the most import