5 Tips for Managing Your Freelance Side Hustle

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In the past year or so I’ve been trying to build up freelance work alongside my part-time job. And I have to say, I love it!

I get to write website content one day and edit blog posts the next. There’s so much variety – and I can still manage my own blog and social media platforms, too.

Freelancing allows me to do the work I want, on my own terms – all while going to my “regular” job for a bit of financial stability.

However, if you’re managing your freelance side hustle alongside other responsibilities, such as kids or another job, it’s so important to effectively organise your time.

In this post, I’ve come up with 5 simple tips to manage your freelance side hustle + my experiences

1. Don’t just use one calendar

Although you might like to keep track of your work, deadlines and blogging schedule in one place, don’t forget to utilise all the different ways that you can organise your time.

I like to use alerts on my phone or computer to remind me of upcoming deadlines, but I also use a paper diary, as I like to have everything out in front of me.

2. Don’t spend too long on one task

As a freelancer, you might have 2 projects or even 20 at any one time. However, it’s important to avoid spending all your time on just one task.

Time is a precious thing, so unless I have a deadline, I tend to split my time between projects – and this keeps everything fresh.

Desk with laptop, notepad, pen and mug- managing your side hustle

You might be surprised about the kind of work freelancers can pick up! It’s not just writing or blogging, it can be anything from creating graphics to interpreting services or translation.

As well as working on current projects, you should also regularly look for new gigs. This means that any short-term projects can be easily replaced when they’re over.

3. Give yourself a cut-off time

If you’re going out with friends or taking a weekend away, make sure to give yourself a cut-off time to do your work.

For me, my side hustle tasks can be quite ad hoc. If I have something planned, I usually say to myself “okay, so I’ll finish everything I have at the moment, and anything that comes in after 5 can be done tomorrow.”

This stops me from obsessing about work when I should be focusing on something else.

4. Create a separation between work and rest

One of the key ways to manage your freelance side hustle is to make sure you create a separation between work and rest.

A person uses a laptop on a desk, with books open beside her on the desk- tips for managing your side hustle

This could include working at a desk (and not your bed) or even doing your work in a separate space, such as a café. Resting your brain is so important – and it can help you avoid burnout.

5. Use your spare time wisely

It can be tough to manage a job and a freelance side hustle at the same time – and that’s why your spare time is so valuable.

Plan your day in advance or prioritise your tasks to make the most of your time. You don’t need hours and hours to create quality work. It’s all about properly utilising the time you have.

For more freelance tips, check out my guide to turning your side hustle into your job + my freelance journey.

How do you manage your freelance side hustle? Do you have any tips for managing your side hustle? What are your blogging or freelance goals for the future?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

Unknown's avatar

Author: Not-So-Modern Girl

I’m Eleanor, welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m a freelance content writer and book lover from Yorkshire. On my blog, I write about life as a 20-something, including posts about freelance life, blogging, book reviews and more. I also write resources for bloggers and writers on my Gumroad account, including my ebook 'The Art of Blog Writing'.

96 thoughts

    1. Thank you for sharing and for reading. I agree, time for rest is hard- and it definitely comes in different ways for different people. I love working on side hustles or freelance work, and I’m glad to hear you’re the same x

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  7. These are some great tips to keep you motivated and productive!
    For myself, the most important tip is to really love what you’re doing and stop focusing on the money. I see so many people hung up or hating themselves because their side hustle is not making enough money. In my opinion then you choose the wrong side hustle 😀

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    1. Thank you Dennis 😉 yes that’s so true, I think if it’s a side hustle (and you work elsewhere, too) you don’t need to get quite as hung up on money- and you can focus on loving what you do. Great point!

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  8. All are excellent tips. I dig the note about using your spare time wisely. I train my mind for many hours daily during my spare time to maximize my blogging time.

    When you use free time to free yourself rather than to distract yourself, everything begins to grow with your blogging business and freelance channels.

    Keep on inspiring.

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. This is such great advice. The one thing I’ve learned is to end a blogging day just like I would a work day. Like you say, everything else can wait until tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Love this! As a freelancer and blogger, I use 3 planners to differentiate my work, blog, and life schedule. I also use a digital planner and reminders to stay on track. Thank you for sharing x

    Liked by 1 person

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  20. I haven’t had any freelance work to do yet but I think this post is also useful for anyone who blogs as a hobby or as work too. When you’re your own boss it’s so easy to overwork yourself so these tips are very helpful.

    Soffy / http://www.alittlecupofus.com

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  21. Thank you for your post. Its packed full of useful information.

    I’m pretty organised, but I need to get better at utilising the time I have and stop getting distracted.

    Liked by 1 person

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  24. This was super interesting. My husband is a freelancer and you’re right dedicating a portion of your time to finding your next job is really important.

    Liked by 1 person

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  26. So much amazing advice in this post. I try to separate the area that I work in (at the moment, I am working in the dining room). Thank you for sharing.

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  27. These are valuable tips here Eleanor! I am not that great in planning and finding time for relax. There are so many things that should be done which some times really take me over. I should work on becoming better at this.

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  28. These are great tips. Managing multiple side hustles can be exhausting but these are good ideas to help manage it. I really like the idea of having separate calendars. Though I will admit, I’m not so good about having a cut-off time but know that I should. Thanks for sharing!

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  31. Some really useful tips, Eleanor. Having a cut off time is SO important, particularly if you work from home. My other tip is to use Trello for multiple clients and projects as it’s easy to collaborate, update, and we can all see what’s happening 🙂 x

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  32. This is a great post! Before I left my job, I was working and blogging and I was always so organised. It was easier to have control over my time before I threw a baby into the mix though!

    Corinne x

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  34. I yearn for the day I can go freelance! This is such a helpful post Eleanor. I really like that you included that spare time is valuable. And that tip about always spending time finding your next job is gold – that way you can have consistency with your work and earnings. I’ll have to come back to this!

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    1. Thank you! That’s very fair, I still work in a “regular” job too but I do enjoy the freelance work alongside that- although it can be a lot of work 🙂 yes trying to find that next job can be tricky, but it’s a great trick when you rely on the income I’m sure x

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  37. Wonderful post! Using a separate calendar is such a great idea. I also agree with having a cut off time. It’s so easy to get lost in your work, especially when you have so many different projects. But knowing when to step away and make time for yourself is so important. Thank you for sharing!

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  41. These are great tips! I’ve been looking into getting started with freelance work so I’ll definitely look back at this post when I start getting work 🙂

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  43. Those are all great tips. I have been trying to also start offering some services in Canva design but things haven’t been going too well. Will keep those tips in mind if things ever pick up.

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  45. these are all amazing tips! I struggle so much with blocking down time and then doing something else, when it would be more helpful nd as you said it can be refreshing! Also rest, I think is something I am still trying to learn x

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