Welcome to the world of self-employment — you’re the boss, and the employee, and the wearer (or delegator) of all the hats.

Being self-employed is wonderful (just ask any of our Cool Wow Crew), but it also brings its own unique set of challenges. How to actually plan and organise work seems pretty straightforward, right? But there’s a whole bunch of ways to tackle it, some more efficient than others.

Why is it important to plan and organise your work?

Picture this: A chaotic work week where deadlines are missed, important tasks are forgotten, and stress levels skyrocket. Not a pretty sight, right? The thing is, it doesn’t have to be this way. Organising your work in advance might seem like a waste of time. Still, it’s essential for several reasons:

1. Increased productivity: By planning ahead, you can allocate time for specific tasks and ensure they are completed efficiently. Organising your time in advance helps you stay focused and accomplish more in less time.

2. Improved time management: When you have a clear plan, you can allocate time wisely and better manage your workload within the working week. Avoiding unnecessary distractions means less overtime and the ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

3. Reduced stress: The ability to prioritise and plan allows you to foresee any future roadblocks and tackle them proactively. Feeling in control of our workload helps to bring a sense of calm and focus rather than distraction and stress.

How to efficiently plan and organise your work week

Now that we understand why it is important to plan and organise your work week, let's explore some ways to make it happen efficiently:

1. Create (and maintain) a master task list

Hopefully, you’ve already got some semblance of a task management system in place. If you don’t, that’s okay — here’s your reminder to make one.

Start by listing all the tasks and projects you need to complete. If you’re unsure where to begin, start with a list of clients and what you’re working on for each, plus some of your key business tasks grouped in areas like finance, marketing or admin.

If you’re tackling a client project like writing a website, we bet “write website” isn’t going to be helpful when you sit down to get started. Instead, break the project down into smaller tasks like ‘set up copy deck’, ‘write skeleton draft’ or ‘edit first draft’. Remember to tick each task off as you complete it. Doing this adds a sense of accomplishment and helps you to stay on track when working on multiple projects.

Psst — we love using ClickUp, but there are loads of task management software options out there. Google Workspace has one, Asana is popular, Trello, and even pen and paper if that’s what works for you. If you haven’t used one before, consider trialling a few to see what you like and what supports the way you work best.

2. Set clear goals

Now, there’s lots of ways to set goals. If you’re doing this for the first time, start on a small scale with weekly or monthly goals. These can be business-related (for example, completing a project) and personal things like dedicating time to self-care.

Be specific with your goals. If you’re not clear on what you’re trying to achieve, you’ll likely be left floundering and directionless when planning what you should do.

Stuck on goal setting? Try reflecting on these questions before you dive in.

3. Prioritise wisely

Prioritising tasks can be a game-changer when managing your work week effectively. Here are the three key components to consider:

Importance: Assess the significance of each task to your goals and overall business objectives. Focus on high-impact activities that align with your long-term vision first.
Impact: Consider the consequences and outcomes of completing or not completing a task. Prioritise the tasks that will have the most significant impact on your business or client satisfaction.
Urgency: Determine the time-sensitivity of each task.Aim to complete the time-sensitive assignments first, but also consider the importance and impact factors mentioned earlier.

Using these, identify the most important and impactful tasks. Now, schedule them at times when you’re going to be most productive and focused.

Oh, a tool that can help with this is called the Eisenhower box — we recently shared it on Instagram, check it out.

4. Allocate time blocks to create your ideal week

Assign specific time blocks for different types of tasks. For instance, dedicate certain hours for client meetings, creative work, administrative tasks and breaks.

Some freelancers and founders like to theme their week and dedicate specific days to certain types of tasks. Mondays for admin and finance, Tuesdays for marketing, Wednesdays for client work… You get the idea.

The key here is trial and error. You don’t have to create an ideal week that turns out to be unworkable two weeks later. Take time to test different setups and be flexible until you find the way of organising work that is right for you

Here’s my ideal week at the moment — it’s got structure but also flexibility because my businesses don’t fit in a neat little box. The key here is that it’s *ideal*. It’s a framework to help me plan but fluctuates based on how much client work I have in my copywriting business and whether I have a launch for Cool Wow coming up.

5. Be realistic and flexible

Avoid overloading your schedule. Can you really fit in 40 planned hours of client work? If you use a time tracker (I use Toggl), go back and look at how long projects took or even just your average work hours over a few months. Make sure you consider client work and the tasks required to market and run your business when planning out your week.is.

Unexpected events and changes are bound to happen, so leave buffer time for unexpected emergencies or delays — or just a fun, last-minute lunch invitation. It's better to under-promise and over-deliver.

6. Consider delegating and outsourcing

Recognise when it's beneficial to delegate certain tasks or outsource them to other freelancers or a virtual assistant. By offloading tasks outside your expertise or those time-consuming responsibilities, you can focus on what you do best and save valuable time. If you can afford to outsource tasks, actually letting go of control in your business is hard. Perhaps start with tasks at home like cleaning or mowing as a first step.

7. Accountability and tracking progress

Track your progress and hold yourself accountable for completing tasks. Utilise productivity metrics and review completed tasks at the end of the week. Celebrate milestones to stay motivated and maintain a sense of accomplishment.

You might like working alongside other freelancers and founders in our Virtual Coworking Club — we can help keep you accountable with our coworking focus sessions twice a week.

BONUS

Self-care and work-life balance: Include time for self-care and maintaining healthy relationships in your week. Schedule time throughout the day for mindfulness and to undertake activities outside of work, such as hobbies and spending quality time with loved ones.

Ready to say so long to stress by adding structure, and a splash of accountability to your work week?

Join the waitlist for the next round of our Virtual Coworking Club.

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7 easy tips to successfully plan and organise your work week