The power of dedicated time, a.k.a. getting organized
Working as a contractor can definitely have its perks like more flexibility and earning potential. However, this often means that you’re responsible for… well, everything! Here are some tips to make your work life and real life less stressful through organization and by setting reasonable expectations for yourself.
Put everything in your calendar
Get it out of your brain and onto paper / iCal / Google Calendar––whatever your preference, but make sure you do it. Dedicating time to get really organized will save you time (and stress) in the long run. Knowing yourself and how you operate is key to successful habit-forming. Maybe the best organizational time for you is the beginning of each day, making sure you’re solidly aware of every task you’ll need to accomplish during the day ahead. Or you may find that spending the last thirty minutes of your work day organizing for the following day is helpful. If your job allows for it, you could comb through your schedule for the entire upcoming week, setting deadline alerts, meeting alerts, and making sure there will be no unpleasant surprises in the week ahead. Knowing you’re on top of all of your activities will help you turn off your mind at the end of the day and keep you from having to endlessly check your work schedule when you’re supposed to be enjoying some down time.
File quarterly taxes
When April is approaching, so many independent contractors are dreading the collecting of 1099s, adding up write-offs, and the dreaded sum that many owe all in one chunk. Filing quarterly estimated taxes is a real stress-saver, not only because your payments will be smaller, but also because the inherent organization you’re doing every three months will save you hours in the future. Set a recurring transfer to a savings account for taxes only. Build tax organization into your schedule at an interval that makes sense for your work, whether that is logging weekly business-related miles, adding up a month’s worth of write-offs, or printing off invoices and filing them together in a folder so you’ll be sure to never have to hunt anything down come April.
Plan your meals in advance, but not too far
This blog from The Financial Diet recommends only meal prepping for a few days at a time. Why? Because it reduces food waste, ensures your meals are things you actually want to eat (who knows what they’ll be craving in a week?) and helps zero in on those items in your fridge that need to be used sooner rather than later. Wasting food (and money) is stressful, and even more so if you spent time at the beginning of the week prepping that food that now, seven days later, has spoiled or is completely unappetizing.
“People First” means you, too
You’re not a robot. You cannot function at full capacity for twenty-four hours straight. Actually, the average office worker only “works” for about three hours! For independent contractors, though, the money doesn’t flow in unless the work gets done, so focus and productivity directly affect your earnings. That also means that for many independent contractors, the workday doesn’t have a clear end. So, like everything else, that falls on you, too. The bright side of that is the ability to play to your strengths, especially if you have a flexible schedule. If you know you experience a mental slump from 3:00-5:00 every afternoon, you can use that time to handle tasks that don’t require your full attention, such as going to the grocery store, tidying your house, or exercising instead of becoming frustrated that your productivity has yet again tanked during those hours. If your schedule isn’t so flexible, you can still make your life easier with this self-awareness. If you’re not a morning person, don’t expect yourself to sail through those hours with ease. Schedule breaks at the times that you usually need a break, and end your workday at a reasonable time so that you can see friends, relax, exercise, and be a human!
Speaking of exercise, it’s good for your mental health, too. Find ways to move your body that you actually like, and therefore will actually do. The most intense workout isn’t the most helpful if you skip it half the time because it makes you miserable. Yoga is especially good to mitigate stress, and never underestimate a good old-fashioned walk.