Before I became a full-time freelance writer, I juggled being a high school English teacher with regularly writing stories for half a dozen different publications.
Now that I freelance full time, my schedule can be just as busy as I’m doing freelance journalism for publications, freelance content writing for businesses and non-profits and working to grow the See Jane Write brand and community.
Related Reading: What Life as a Full-Time Freelance Writer Is Really Like
So, how do I keep track of everything? How do I make sure I’m meeting my deadlines, growing my personal brand, and still making time for self-care and hanging out with hubs? Two words — Day Designer!
*This post includes affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase from these links I will receive a commission.
Why I Love the Day Designer
Before you even get into the planning pages of the Day Designer, you’ll fall in love. The cover page encourages you to choose a word for the year. The planner also includes pages to help you do a self-assessment of where you are in every arena of your life.
There’s a worksheet to help you reconnect with your values. I think the key to a fulfilling life is to know your values and to be sure the things you’re doing on a day-to-day basis correspond with those values.
There are worksheets to help you set your goals and develop a plan for achieving them. And the planner has charts to help you plot out your ideal week and ideal month.
Each planning page includes space for you to write down your to-do list and space for you to schedule when you will complete each task. This is clutch as it keeps me on track throughout the day and keeps me from overcommitting.
I can use the planning page to make note of my top three tasks of the day (those three things that MUST get done), what deadlines I have that day, important reminders, and even my dinner plans.
I use the “Dollars” section to remind myself to pay taxes, pay bills, or send invoices. The space for “Daily Gratitude” helps me maintain an attitude of thankfulness every day. And each planning page features a motivational quote, too.
How the Day Designer Helps Me as a Freelancer
Every Sunday, I use the Day Designer slim notebook (which fits perfectly in the pocket of my planner) to make a list of all the things I want, need, and must do that week — including all the story assignments I need to work on or complete.
Next, I use the Day Designer planning pages to assign each task to a day of the week. Then, I schedule when I will do each of Monday’s tasks. Monday night I will schedule when I will do each of Tuesday’s tasks and so on.
By meticulously planning my day with the Day Designer I can get all of my work done and still have time to binge-watch my favorite TV shows and go for my daily walks.
Visit DayDesigner.com to learn more about this planner.
*This post includes affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase from these links I will receive a commission.