Studies show that 58% of freelancers find it challenging to manage their time. I have personally experienced this challenge as a freelance writer. I sometimes struggle to maintain productivity and deliver high-quality work while meeting deadlines. My mind tends to become more scattered when I juggle multiple writing tasks or clients.  

However, I have been in the business for a long time. So, I have learned the art of balancing my clients or tasks quite well. And today, I would like to share some tips on what works for me.

Keep a To-Do List

I use a to-do list notebook to write down my tasks for the month because I prefer the manual option. I find it much easier to keep track of my work obligations if I write everything down rather than keep everything in my head. I am more likely to forget if I do the latter.

Therefore, I recommend that you write down all your tasks for each month or week, depending on how much you have on your plate. But you don't have to use a physical notebook like me. Digital task management tools such as Asana, Trello, Notion, ClickUp, and Todoist, will make it easier to juggle multiple tasks.

Prioritize Your Tasks Effectively

It's not just enough to write down all the tasks you have yet to do. You must also prioritize them correctly to juggle multiple clients effectively. To do that, you need to factor in:

• The estimated duration of each task
• The deadline
• The importance
• The nature of the client
• The payment agreement

Generally, crucial and urgent tasks should be the highest priority. However, other factors may come into play and change how you work. 

For example, if you have a non-urgent task you can complete while half-asleep, you could do it early on and get paid for it as you figure out how to complete other somewhat urgent but complicated tasks. Doing so would enable you to check off that task from your to-do list, which can be highly freeing and motivating.

Breakdown Larger Tasks

Some tasks may not be urgent. However, they may have a larger scope thus, requiring a much longer time to complete. A good example is a 50,000-word e-book or report writing project, or a complex article that requires extensive research or multiple interview subjects.

Even if the assignment is not urgent, it pays to begin the work early. By breaking down the primary task into subtasks, you can complete each phase while completing other clients' assignments. This strategy makes the assignment more manageable so it doesn't sneak up on you all at once when the deadline looms.

Schedule in Time for Different Tasks and Activities

The more clients and varying tasks I have, the more stressed and confused I tend to get. So, I usually schedule various clients' tasks using a weekly timetable based on my prioritized to-do list for the week. Once I finish one client’s task, I move on to the next. 

In addition, I tend to schedule time for mental and physical breaks, during which time I may use social media, read through my inbox, or exercise a little. 

Having a regimented schedule has been helpful for a scatterbrained writer like me. It enables me to operate as if I were a student in a classroom setting. As a result, I tend to get quite a lot done by the end of the day. And by the end of the week, I am usually up-to-date.

Automate Repetitive Tasks

I tend to automate my invoices whenever I have repeat clients who pay out regularly.  This is an excellent strategy because it enables me to focus more on the more critical aspects of my work, rather than waste time. And you too should use it for email correspondence and invoices.

Ask For More Time or Decline More Work

If you have done everything you can to juggle multiple clients and tasks and are still feeling overwhelmed, you need to take steps to change your situation. The first thing you can do is ask your clients for more time to complete your work. But this option only works for flexible clients who don’t need to use your work on a set date. And if you are allowed to postpone the submission of the work, don’t make a habit of it lest you erode all the goodwill you have acquired.

The second option involves politely declining more work when you are too busy. As a freelancer, you have probably experienced a feast-famine cycle at least once in your career. So, it’s understandable to feel strongly tempted to pick up every project clients offer you. 

However, doing so is not wise at all. If you continuously bite off more than you can chew and fail to deliver quality work several times, your reputation will eventually take a hit. And it will be much harder to get high-paying clients in the future.

You can maintain a long-term and successful freelance career by effectively juggling multiple clients and tasks. However, that takes some work and practice on your part. It's vital to communicate well with the clients from the beginning so that you are aware of their expectations of you. And it's also important to be self-aware concerning your limitations and abilities. 

Once you accept multiple projects, you must learn to juggle them all. Doing that requires you to keep track of all tasks that you must accomplish, prioritize them effectively, and break down the more extensive projects. 

You must also schedule each task, automate repetitive tasks to increase efficiency, and ask for more time if you can't finish your work on time. And it never hurts for you to say no when you have too much on your plate. Your clients are more likely to respect you for being honest and not making false promises.