The “feast or famine” reality of freelancing can be stressful. The uncertainty of when the next project may be coming in often prompts freelancers to take on every opportunity that comes their way, leading to long hours and an overwhelming workload.
Though there will certainly be times that you need to put in a few more hours than you’d like, working beyond your bandwidth as a norm is a disservice to your clients, and your mental health.
It’s important to know how many hours per week or month you can work and still maintain a healthy work-life balance.
What’s the maximum number of hours per week or month that you can take on without suffering a severe case of overload?
Knowing your bandwidth and not scheduling yourself beyond it is key to ensuring that you will produce high quality work for your clients and keep loving what you do.
Remember, it’s ok to say “no” or “not now.” If you are scheduled to capacity, let clients know the next available date for you to take on their incoming projects.
If you find yourself over-scheduled on a regular basis, it’s time to lighten your load by raising your rates and buying yourself some time.
Keep moving forward. You’ve got this. #MoveForwardMonday