Tips for Freelancing Moms

I did not take up freelancing to stay closer to my baby, but because it seemed far more exciting career-wise! There, I have said it now.

Once my daughter (K) was six months old, I returned back to a full-time job. I had a six full days-work week. But once I stepped out of office, my evenings (or nights as they were!) were mine to do what I want to with it. So I played with K, spent time at home, did odd chores and so on.

And then! The bug of freelancing bit me. So suddenly I was working every waking moment as that’s what freelancers do. Time is money – that’s the mantra every beginning freelancer believes in. So, now time for everything else was when I was not working – no set hours. I can’t claim all of that has changed since my family would call my bluff on that! But two years down the line, some sanity has been restored in the Warrier household. Here’s how:

Set realistic deadlines and stick by them

And when I say this, I don’t mean that you not miss them. I mean when you hear the line, ‘my deadline was yesterday;’ learn to say ‘then call me yesterday’. Don’t give in to undue pressure and kill yourself. Your time isn’t yours alone, remember?

Set your schedule and follow it

Have a view of what your week ahead will look like on a Sunday evening. Once I have broad goals set, I plan out each day. Give or take a few things to do, I try and stick by it. What has helped me most is to assign time for each task so I know how many hours I have work mapped out for. This allows me to take on or reject ad-hoc work, if it comes by.

Two off days a week – a must

I hear the collective gasps. OK! make that one! But that’s non-negotiable. Nobody can work 24X7 – that’s an exclusive mom trait and that too when it comes to their family. Pick any one day in the week and keep it sacrosanct. The day may vary – but choose it at the beginning of the week so you can inform everybody concerned that you won’t be available. That way, not only do you give yourself a break, you get to finish off other chores too.

Always have some food in the refrigerator

The most annoying thing I find is to worry about lunch /dinner when I have a deadline dangling over my head. For such situations, always have some leftover meals stashed away in your fridge. Whisk it out, transfer to a glass bowl, microwave and voila! Meals are ready in five minutes. Of course, this is only when I am on kitchen duty. If mom’s around, she completely takes over.

Use help when you get it

‘Ask and thou shalt receive’, said the great ones. So when thou receiveth without asking, thou shalt not question. Just take it! Help, that is. Family, friends, colleagues – accept it all till the cape fully grows!

Hopefully, this will prove useful to you, as it did to me. I don’t claim to follow this diligently – but having it at the back of mind has helped me tremendously. Well, the complaints of not seeing me enough have reduced surely!