Freelancefolder

15 Firefox Add-Ons to Tame Social Media Addicts

Posted April 23, 2009 in Productivity, Tools/Resources

Freelancers and web workers have it really hard. People think it’s all fun and games sitting on a chair and working at home all day, but man, do we have to keep ourselves focused.

It’s easy to get side tracked quite a bit with a social media or news addiction, and not to mention the urge to check email every twenty minutes or so. To keep my mind from wandering excessively on the web I use quite a few Firefox add-ons. Below are fifteen that I use on a regular basis which have helped me maintain my productivity while still feeding my web addiction.

[Click Here to Read More...]

Open Thread: What Motivates You?

Posted April 20, 2009 in Open Thread, Productivity

Freelancing is a world in which motivation and self-discipline can make the difference between success or failure. Freelancers overwhelmingly work at home, and on their own, where there is nobody else to make you work hard and finish projects on time.

But each freelancer is different, and there is no single answer that will help you stay motivated. Some are motivated by the promise of future prosperity and expansion, while others want a stable job that let’s them spend time with their family.

Some freelancers stay motivated out of their fear or dislike for working at a big company, others are motivated by a love for their trade and are simply happy that they can get paid for it.

Knowing what motivates you is an important step towards staying disciplined and productive over the long-term. So, what is it that drives you to work hard?

• Are you motivated by the promise of future success and prosperity?
• Does the freedom you have as a freelancer drive you to work hard?
• Are you working because of the stability and value you can create?
• Are you driven out of fear or dislike of working for someone else?
• Do you work hard because you love your work and want to do more?

Tell us what motivates you in the comments.
[Click Here to Read More...]

7 Productivity Tools I Couldn’t Live Without

Posted March 25, 2009 in Productivity, Tools/Resources

There are only so many hours in a day, so as freelancers it is wise for us to use the time we do have effectively. From keyboard shortcuts to limiting outside distractions, we all have our own ways of speeding up the work involved in certain tasks.

Personally, my day can consist of a number of different tasks including web development, logo design, research, reporting and quite often…writing. While I love what I do and appreciate the opportunity to work from home, there are just some tools that I would find it hard to live without.

I use all the following tools on a daily basis, some less than others (you’ll see why) but they all have their place in my ‘work from home toolkit‘.

[Click Here to Read More...]

Four Ways To Find More Personal Time

Posted March 12, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity

You’ve worked really hard to build up your business for months, maybe even for years. At last, your freelance business has taken off. Finally, you can kick back and relax. Finally, you can work on your personal projects. Finally, you can spend time with friends and family. Right?

Wrong!

If you’re like most successful freelancers, then you probably already know that relaxation doesn’t happen automatically once you’ve succeeded. In fact, you may find that suddenly there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that you need to do.

Successful freelancers can find more time for themselves. To do it, however, you will need to adjust both your behavior and your mindset.

Here are some suggestions to help:

[Click Here to Read More...]

Getting Creative: Should You Start From The Big Picture Or The Details?

Posted March 3, 2009 in Inspiration, Productivity

Creativity is a central part in almost every freelancer’s career. Whether you’re a writer, a designer, or even a programmer — mastering your creative side is just part of the job.

Every freelancer is different, though, and getting creative often requires a different approach for each person. In this post we take a look at one of the most fundamental choices when it comes to creativity: working from the big picture, or diving in and starting with the details.

[Click Here to Read More...]

The Messy Guide To Staying Organized

Posted January 22, 2009 in How-To, Productivity

How organized is your office?

If you are anything like me, office organization is something that you struggle with. After all, we creative people (web developers, writers, graphic artists ) should be given a little leeway when it comes to keeping things organized — right?

Wrong!

Proper organization is critical to freelancing success. While my personal tendency may be to put off straightening things up, I’ve learned that disorganization is bad for business. As a freelancer, I’ve had to put into place some organizational methods to help myself become more efficient.

[Click Here to Read More...]

Are Your Excuses Holding You Back?

Posted January 9, 2009 in Inspiration, Productivity

It is important to take some time and think about your priorities.On a daily basis, we make excuses or reasons for every action we take, from the food we eat to the work that gets done.

What are your reasons for not doing X,Y, and Z? Are you not doing something you should be doing? Are your reasons legitimate or getting in the way of your success?

• Maybe you want to make more money; why aren’t you?
• You want to learn a new skill; why aren’t you?
• You think losing weight is difficult, why?

You have reasons (yes, many, many reasons) for not doing the things you would like to be doing (and the things you do not want to do as well). Now that the new year has begun, it’s time to look at those reasons and decide whether or not they are getting in the way of your dreams.
[Click Here to Read More...]

Two Freelancing Myths and The Need For Self-Discipline

Posted January 6, 2009 in Lifestyle, Productivity

Envy filled my friend’s voice as she spoke, “I wish had it like you. Since you’re self-employed, if you wake up and don’t feel like working you don’t really have to. I have to go to work every single day, whether I want to or not.”

The volunteer coordinator at the children’s school huffed impatiently, “You work for yourself. You must have a lot of free time every day. Surely, you can make time to chair this major committee for us since you can control your own schedule.”

Both statements indicate a common misconception about freelancing. Both statements also totally ignore a key factor that every freelancer must master if they are to succeed. That factor is self-discipline.

First, Let’s look at these two misconceptions:

[Click Here to Read More...]

How To Stay Focused: 7 Ways To Keep On Task

Posted December 10, 2008 in How-To, Productivity

Do you sometimes feel as though your current task is the very last thing you actually want to be doing?

Do you put off necessary tasks for something that’s less important, but more interesting or amusing?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, know that you’re not alone. Procrastination and loss of focus is something that all freelancers must deal with at one time or another.

When you work for an employer you may have a supervisor checking in on your progress at regular intervals. If you get behind on your work, then he or she is going to let you know about it.

However, as a freelancer staying focused is solely up to you. It is easy to get distracted to the point where you can’t meet your deadlines. Yet, as a freelancer, you can’t allow this to happen or your business could fail.

To help you stay on focused, and keep your mind from wandering, here are a few simple tricks that you may not have thought of:

[Click Here to Read More...]