AD- This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
If you’re a freelancer or blogger, you might find it hard to get started with your work in the morning. This could be because you’re working from home, or just because there are too many overwhelming tasks on your list.
One of the best ways to support your work is to follow a simple morning routine before starting with your freelance work.
This doesn’t have to be anything too complicated or strict, just a few easy steps to get your mind in gear and ready for work.
Whether you work from home or you work for yourself, it’s so important to set yourself up for the day ahead!
In this post, I’ve put together 5 steps for freelancers to follow every morning! I hope this can help you get into the right mindset for work, crafting an effective daily routine.
Step 1: Work out your priorities for the day
First things first, you need to work out your priorities for the day.
You could split your tasks down into the items you need to do today, as well as anything that is additional work. This means you know your priorities, and you can better craft a plan for your day.
A priority task might be something that is due soon or something you’ve been meaning to do for a while.
It could be admin work, client work or just an annoying task that you know needs to be sorted.
Taking time to understand your priorities early in the day will also make sure you always meet deadlines. Before you dive into your work, follow this step to work out exactly what needs to be completed.
Step 2: Come up with an achievable to-do list
The next step is to create an achievable to-do list, using your priorities for the day to inform your decisions.
The key word here is “achievable”. Don’t over-schedule yourself, as this will lead to burn-out, but you should also set yourself goals so that you stay productive throughout the day.
You might like to create a detailed to-do list dictating when you will complete each task or you could come up with something a bit more flexible.
Personally, I like to set myself a basic list of tasks, to complete at any time of the day (as long as I don’t have any deadlines).
That way, I can switch things around if something changes during the day, but I still have a plan to keep me focused.
Step 3: Get your tools ready
Step number 3 is one of the most important steps to follow every morning! You need to make sure you have all your tools ready for a productive and successful day.
Charge up your laptop or phone, and get your notepad ready for any notes you might need to make.
During the cold Winter months, this also means layering up. Stick on the heater or throw on a jumper before you start work, to avoid leaving your desk halfway through a task.
It’s also important to cook yourself a good breakfast. Pour yourself a nice cup of tea and make sure to set yourself up for a fun and productive day of freelance work.
Step 4: Eliminate all distractions
You need to be in a good environment to work!
This step might not always be possible but try to move your phone away, tell people you’re starting work or move to a different room before you get started to avoid all distractions.
If possible, don’t look at client emails while you crack on with work.
Constantly checking your phone and replying to people can make your work very “stop-start” so it could help to have a dedicated time slot to check emails, for example.
5. Start work!
The final step for freelancers to follow every morning is to actually start work! I think sometimes we can get so caught up in our routine that we forget to get started.
Make sure to crack on with work as soon as you’re ready, following all the previous steps to make sure your morning is as calm, focused and productive as possible.
Your work for the day might involve translation services for worldwide clients, or you might just be starting your morning off with a bit of light article research.
Whatever your tasks, I hope you can follow the steps in this blog post to effectively prepare yourself for the day!
What steps do you think freelancers should follow every morning? Do you have a morning work routine? What is your favourite tip for new freelancers?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
Happy reading x
Not-So-Modern Girl 
Very useful tips for getting started! Once you’re comfortable, have everything you need in place, and your environment is perfect, you are sure to be able to focus on your freelance work.
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Yes I think you really need to take time to rest, relax and get everything ready before you crack on with work 🙂 x
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I’m not sure I’d call myself a freelancer, more just a self-employed blogger but my mornings can really make or break my day. I’m very productive in the morning, so I like to get the vast majority of my work done then. But I also love working out and going for walks in the morning too. Getting into a morning routine that works for you is really important, especially if you work for yourself / from home.
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Thank you Jenny! I completely agree. If I’ve had a bad morning or I’ve started my day off on the wrong foot, it can really affect the rest of my day. I am definitely more productive in the morning too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences 🙂 x
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Yes having a mornings routine is key for my day to be productive too. If I miss my morning routine, it throws off my whole day!
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Some great tips! I also think it’s a matter of figuring out when you work best. I know that my mornings are not a good time for me to be organizing anything. Instead, I sit down and figure out my to-do list and priorities the night before when I’m in the right mindset to make good decisions on what needs to be done lol If I don’t, the next day is a disorganized mess and there will definitely be less completed.
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Thank you! That’s such a great point, we all have to adapt our routine depending on our strengths and weaknesses. I’m glad you’ve found a way that works for you x
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Great suggestions. Coming up with an achievable to-do list (emphasis on the achievable!) is so important.
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I agree. Thank you for commenting Isabelle x
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These are good habits for freelancers to follow. I believe no.1 is the most important. It’s the root for no.2, 3, 4 & 5. Thank you for sharing.
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Yes that’s so true, you need a good plan in place to get productive x
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These are all really great tips!
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Thank you!
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Great tips. I love setting out my to do list for the day. I now make it achievable and it’s satisfying crossing off the tasks.
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Definitely! Yes I like to plan before I get started x
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Love these tips, and they are good for university too! Sometimes I like to plan the night before too x
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Yes! They can apply to any area of life (I hope)! I like that idea x
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Love these tips, when it comes to blogging, I like to put together a to-do list which I know is doable and also realistic in a way. I don’t put too much on a to-do list for the day ahead as I don’t want to feel overwhelmed! I like to plan the night before also, it makes me feel more prepared for the next day x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
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Yes! I can feel easily overwhelmed, so it’s definitely a good idea to come up with something that is realistic but still pushes you 🙂 thank you for sharing, I agree that a little planning the night before can really help x
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Amazing tips, definitely priorities rule and no distractions..
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Yes! Thank you 🙂
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Great tips Eleanor! When you start by prioritizing these habits, it sets you up for a successful day ahead. Getting all of your tools ready, including a blanket or sweater, is great advice! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you! I completely agree 🙂 yes, we need those layers at this time of the year xx
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These are some good points. On a Sunday I plan out my week, so for the most part each day I know what I need to get done. That’s what works best for me. Thank you for sharing your tips.
Lauren
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That’s a great idea Lauren! I think we all need to find a morning, weekly or monthly routine that works for us. Thank you for sharing 🙂
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Would it be better to do the to-do list the night before? That way you don’t keep thinking about tasks you need to do or tasks you weren’t able to finish. That’s often how people end up with an unhealthy work/life balance
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That’s a good idea, I think different people will work in different ways for sure 🙂
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Even though I’m not a freelancer, I could definitely use these tips to help me when I have a blog task/project to work through. I’ll keep these in mind; great post!
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Aw thank you Molly! I think it can be hard to know where to start. Sometimes, you’ve got to just make sure you’re comfortable and dive right in x
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Love these, im a new freelancer and I appreciate the reminder to work out the main things I have to do
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Thank you!
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Great ideas for getting out of the starting block.
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Thank you Jamie x
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Great things to start. I like the idea of getting told ready and adding the list for the day. Help to have a productive day
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Thank you! Yes I think anything you can do to improve your productivity is great 🙂
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