I’ve switched to working freelance (location management & remote) in 2005. At that time, at least at my base, the word “freelancer” would be met with a startling reaction. I decided to be “my own boss” in a time when everyone was rushing to get hired in big companies.

I had no one to help with anything – except my attorney and my accounting knowledge (from university). I honestly don’t recall searching online for any time management and productivity tips & tricks. But I do remember it wasn’t easy to adapt.

That’s why, in this article, I’m sharing my time management & productivity tips & tricks for those who work from home (WFH). You’ll read about how I manage my time and tasks and offer some software and gadget suggestion.

Simple & Proven Time Management & Productivity Tips & Tricks

Better time management always leads to better productivity. But it’s not as simple as saying that “I’ll be productive today”. Nor is being always busy actually productive. And productivity is not just linked to time management.

Confused much?

You are at your most productive when your work is entirely satisfying and fulfilling. And that doesn’t have anything to do with time management. When you are happy with what you do, your environment, and clients, it will be very easy for you to “stick to it” (and manage your time well).

If you just found yourself in the situation to work from home, or decided to be a freelancer, or you’ve already been doing either but still haven’t managed to organize your days to be productive and always struggle with time management, here are some tips & ticks coming from my personal experience.

Have a to-do list

If you’ve never written a to-do list before, just add every single task you need to do that day, week, month, and even trimester.

Then, start to prioritize. High priority / medium / low. Trello is, by far, my favorite app to use (and I’ve started using it because of a very long-term client). I’ve also tried Asana (which I hate with a passion).

Personally, when it comes to redundant tasks (i.e. check sales, traffic, social media), I don’t add them to my to-do list anymore but for the ones that occur monthly, I create a calendar entry.

For managing work on my own blogs, I only use Google calendar to keep tabs on what I need to do. When I’m traveling, I would create to-do lists on Evernote (which syncs between my smartphone and my laptop).

Start with the most important task you dread the most

There’s always one task that’s important but won’t really appeal to us. For me, that used to be calling airlines for vouchers when I had to process changes. Followed by processing that change.

Currently, it would typically involve editing or writing an article I know would take quite a lot to put together.

Get that out of your way the earliest possible in your day. As you make progress, you’ll be very happy and your productivity will be through the roof.

Set a time limit

The Pomodoro technique is known as the best time management tool. Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on the task at hand. Take a 5 min break and after 3-4 “pomodoros” take a 15-20 min break.

A reminder on your cell or smartwatch is more than enough for this.

This is also what kills procrastination. If you know you only have to focus on a task for 25 min, you are very likely to do it. And you might be surprised to want to finish it after you take a break or two.

Track your time

There are countless apps available for this task. Toggl, Harvest, and Clockify are known to be the best.

I’ve always used a spreadsheet. I have several types of tasks (i.e. social media, writing, misc) that I track and within each task, I write down the details of what I work on. That’s because this is how I’ve worked with all of my clients. I would fill in a sheet at the end of my day, detailing what I worked on.

Focus. And don’t multitask

In fact, there’s no such thing as multitasking. Sure, you may allow a video to render in the background while you check your email, but you aren’t multitasking. You’ll focus on the emails, while the computer does its thing.

So, if you happen to use a chat program with your client and partners, you want to set it to “away” when you focus on a task. Or at the very least turn off the notifications. And if your client insists you need to be available all the time during a certain time frame, you might want to explain the part about multitasking.

If possible, arrange your schedule according to your rhythm

The beauty of being a freelancer is that I have the freedom to choose when and how I work. Sure, there are certain calls I have to available for, but that’s all that is not controlled by me.

When I worked in customer service it wasn’t as flexible since I had to be available during certain chunks of time.

You can probably guess I prefer to make my own schedule. Sure, I prefer some sort of routine and I start to work at about the same hour in the morning. But that’s only because I want my afternoons free for other activities.

When I started, I wasn’t as organized and would often work well into the night (I was also in my mid-20s so it would have been easier for me to stay late and sleep in).

If you are not a morning person, by all means, start to work at 11 a.m. (if you can, of course). And if you can’t focus after a certain hour, make sure to be done by then.

Break the routine

Wait, what? I just said routine helps.

Yes, but it also can get boring. Very boring.

When possible, change the setting. At the time I’m writing this article (a.n. Nov 2020), it’s not exactly an option for me to work from a café. Or a co-working space. But up to a couple of years ago, I would meet with fellow freelancers and would work from cafes. Sure, it wasn’t on days when I had calls or when there was a ton of work but on a more relaxed day, it’s a great way to break the routine.

If stuck at home, at the very least, maybe try to work from another room. Just make sure your wi-fi is still strong enough there.

Make sure your internet connection is good

You may wonder why I added this as a time management tip & trick. If your internet is iffy, your productivity will suffer. And along with it, you’ll be cranky and unable to focus.

I’ve lived in Italy for 5 weeks in 2016-2017. I had planned for two weeks off, leaving me with three of them to work. Off a mobile connection. Let me assure you that it wasn’t pretty. Compared to my stable fiber at my base, that connection was unreliable. At best.

>>Read about working remotely from Italy

But before you rush to yell at your ISP or change it, first check your wi-fi signal at your desk. Then figure out if that can be improved (wi-fi extender, new router, etc). Of course, run a speed test at various times of the day. If that’s horrible, by all means, change that ISP.

Create a time audit

After you’ve been tracking your daily tasks for a week, take some time to look at exactly how long you spend on a task.

Of course, different articles will require different hours invested in them, based on a lot of things including, but not limited to topic, research involved, the number of words, finding and editing photos, feedback required.

Generally speaking, unimportant tasks that take a lot of time need to go. Or try to reduce that time significantly. And some meetings should not be meetings.

Unfortunately, I’ve had clients & partners that swore by “daily check-ins”. I hate them with a passion. That’s at least 15 min wasted.

And don’t be afraid to speak up and let your client know that some meetings don’t need to happen.

Know the desired result from a meeting

Speaking of the (dreaded) meetings, right when it starts, determine the desired result.

I’ve always preferred to use an agenda which I’d share with the parties even a day or two before the call.

Having an agenda will force you to stick to the plan. And don’t go over time (unless it’s an emergency).

Block time in your calendar

If you are using a shared calendar with your client, colleagues, or partners, block “do not disturb” time. At the same time, switch your chat to “do not disturb” and even put your notifications (operating system & cell) on “do not disturb”.

Don’t wait for inspiration

Just start writing. Or editing that video. Or creating that social media post.

If you are waiting for the inspiration to strike, nothing will get done.

You aren’t perfect

I’ve always struggled with being a perfectionist. That’s how I was raised, that’s how school “created” us in my home country, and that’s exactly why I had some really unpleasant moments.

So don’t be that hard on yourself. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’d do sloppy work. You will learn from your mistakes and you will improve. But that takes time and a lot of practice.

Keep that work-home balance

It is very hard to do it when you first start working from home. Or when your client is demanding. And especially when you feel they don’t trust you. I’ve been guilty of not knowing when to stop working. I used to answer work emails at 11 p.m. from the bed. And no, no sane client should demand that of you.

Set clear boundaries with your clients. And colleagues. Define real emergencies and how you’d be contacted.

For me, it meant leaving a client to get my balance back. I’ve tried to get my after-work life back repeatedly and was stonewalled. So, eventually, I left.

When I took on another big client, I was lucky to be able to set my own boundaries. I already had experience on how to discuss this, though. Also, I have not installed any work app on my personal smartphone – with one exception: Skype when I was in Italy (because of the bad internet it would disconnect from the laptop).

Later, I got a work phone (paid for by the client). I use it for various tasks I need at work and that’s it. And completely ignore it after I’m done with work.

Of course, there are cases when I volunteer to do something on my outside-work-time but it’s always tracked and paid.

Have a hobby

Healthy mind, healthy body, happy you. Productive you!

A hobby will keep you engaged outside of your work tasks.

It may help you build better skills for your work, too. I run my own blogs which have helped a lot with my freelance writing, social media, and video & photo editing skills.

But I also dance Argentine tango. Which is both a form of exercise and meditation. And I edit the videos I take when I dance and post them on my socials.

It really depends on what you like, but you want to do something for yourself. Love cooking? Take a class. Enjoy walking? Go out on trails.

Don’t let your deadlines pile up

Do you know what’s even worse than not making a deadline? Having a list of 10 items that have to be finished on that same day.

So, start early. Plan to submit at least a day before the deadline. And if you know for sure you dread a task, that should be the first to work on.

Eat healthy

Just because you work from home and it’s convenient to order food, for example, don’t.

Either cook in bulk over the weekends, freeze in serving sizes, and then reheat when you eat; or learn to cook easy recipes that take 15-30 min.

During winter, I love to keep frozen veggies handy. A mixed bag can either be cooked with some minced tofu or tossed in some water to make a hearty soup. And it only takes at most 30 min.

That’s your break after 3-4 pomodoros!

>>Are you a vegan struggling with weight loss and/or eating healthy? My friend Nicki is a vegan weight loss consultant who can help you achieve your goals. Check out her site and free Facebook group.

Take time off

For many years, as a freelancer, any time off would mean no money for those “lost” hours. So the tendency was to work to exhaustion because I needed money. But I would still take 1-2 weeks off over summer and 1-2 weeks off over the winter holidays to relax.

As I grew older, wiser, and the laws changed (in Europe), even as a freelancer, I’ve managed to get some paid time off. As little as it was at first, it was so great that I wasn’t losing money when I was on vacation.

If you do have paid time off, don’t let it go unused. Think about it as you losing money if you don’t use those days. Plus, you’d be delighted to take a break from work (even if you love it!).

If you don’t have paid time off, plan for regular breaks throughout the year. Maybe try to work a 4-day work or do some work in advance and take 2 weeks off over the Holidays. Find your own rhythm but don’t overlook taking time off.

Time Management & Productivity Gadgets

I always prefer to not over-burden my laptop and / or smartphones with apps for tracking work-related things. To this day, aside from the obvious Microsoft Office 365 (because I love it and no free alternative ever worked as I wanted it to), Google Drive, Calendar, Email & Meet (lately), Trello, and Slack, I haven’t used other apps.

But I do love gadgets. And here’s a list of what I use and hope you might find useful, as well.

Noise-cancellation headphones

There are many brands and types of headphones on the market, but I am partial to in-ear ones, such as these. Many times you really want silence to focus and these do the trick.

Fitness Tracker

I’ve been using FitBit since 2014 but currently, I have a Xiaomi Mi Band 6. What I’ve enjoyed about them is not only the ability to track my exercise but also being able to track my sleep and set reminders to move.

There are plenty of competitors, of course, but make sure they have the features you need.

Bluetooth speaker

Whenever I am not in a meeting, I love to listen to tango music and a Anker bluetooth speaker comes in handy. I’ve had years when I would keep the TV on a music channel, then years when I needed dead silence to work. Now, I need tango music.

Wireless mouse & keyboard

I’ve always had laptops with great trackpads. Yet, I never could work using the trackpad. So I’ve been going through a lot of mice. At first, they were wired, now they are wireless.

For the past five years, I prefer to get a Logitech wireless keyboard & mouse set. The keyboard has the number pad part (which I really need for my data crunching) and the mouse is obviously making my life easy. I would buy a new set every 2-3 years though. But this also saves my laptop’s keyboard from over-use. I only use that when I’m not at home (and I still bring the mouse with me).

Coffee machine

If you are a coffee drinker – like me – you really don’t want to go without your daily (or twice-daily) fix. For years, I’ve had DeLonghi espresso machines. They aren’t the cheapest but they are great.

Plenty of other options exist, depending on your budget and preferences, of course.

>> Read about & learn how to make your favorite European coffee specialties at home


Mini standing-desk

In an ideal situation, you’d have a real desk. But sometimes that’s not the case. So bring on the mini-standing desk. It’s easy to set up, foldable, and really spacious. Surely beats many places I’ve worked from.

USB desk lamp

Whether it charges over USB (like this one) or it’s plug-in all the time but uses a switch to turn on/off, it’s really useful especially as days get shorter and shorter. You won’t need to keep the lights on in the room when this can easily give you enough light to see your keyboard (if needed) or take notes on a notepad, for example.

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