Hold on, I’m filling up my coffee before I write this. Okay, got it. Time to rock. Wait–I’m going to go smoke a cigarette before I start writing. I don’t want to have to get up in the middle of it because I’m going to write a post that’s going to knock you off your socks. Alright time to go–oh man, I don’t want to miss this TV show…

That’s how it is, and every freelancer knows it. It’s a pitfall that comes with the freedom to work when and where you want, but if you let your time slip away from you, you’ll regret it when the time crunch to get everything done comes.I remember working as a grunt at a retail store before I went to writing full-time. I hated it! I would spend all day getting clothes from the back, putting them out for display, folding them, making sure the displays were pretty, and so forth. At the end of two weeks, I was greeted with a tiny paycheck. Of course, I was dismayed. Pretty soon, I hated going to work, so I spoke with my friend about my distaste for the occupation. He told me to sing the Money Song. I was like–the money what? Money Song. You sing it while you’re working to remind you that every minute you’re doing something you hate, you’re making money. It goes: Money money money! Money money money!

Well, I couldn’t sing the Money Song because I never got to see any of that money at the end of a pay cycle. It all went to rent and bills. However, I adapted and started singing the “I’m Not Going to Have to Live on the Street Because I’m Flat Broke” song.  However, you can sing either song to get you pumped up to do that work. When you skip that TV show and stop coming up with excuses to stop working, you get to make money right now instead of tomorrow. And instead of doing the work tomorrow, you can look for more work! More money!

Go ahead and get some things out of the way, but don’t keep coming up with reasons to not be working. Use the restroom, put on a pot of coffee, and so forth, but don’t use it as a constant excuse to take a break every five minutes. Allow yourself to get in the groove of the project. Put on some music, dive in, and pretty soon you’ll be having so much fun with what you’re doing, you won’t care that you’re “working.” You’ll be dragging the laptop into the bathroom with you to tap out a few more lines of code. In fact, I’m writing this in the bathroom as we speak! (Just kidding)

If you’re avoiding your work, then you’re not doing what you love to do. That’s a big problem. You need to work through this project you’re on, get it out of the way, and find one you will enjoy. The whole point of freelancing is that you’re free to do what you want to do! This is your chance to make that dream career you’ve always wanted, so don’t go blowing it by not taking advantage of the opportunities given to you.

But, of course, everyone has to take a break now and then. Try to schedule time every day to do some work. If you can, make it a routine. Between hour A and hour B, you will work on project X. Between hours C and D, you work on project Y. Yes, as a freelancer, you can work whenever you feel like it, but if you have some sort of a schedule, you can produce solid results. It gets you into a routine. Don’t look at it as “I can work any time I want, so I’ll work only whenever I’m inspired to by a higher power.” Approach it like you’re going to work at a set time to make sure things get done, but you always have the option to delay it a little while when something comes up.

Also, your location has a direct effect on your productivity. If you’re in an area with a lot of distractions like people, TV, and such, you can count on getting a whole lot less done. Make sure your area is free of distraction. If you’re a smoker, then make sure you can smoke in the area you’re working so you don’t have to constantly get up and down. If you like coffee, consider keeping a jug of water, some coffee, and a maker next to where you work. Keep the things you will want close at hand so long as they don’t distract you.

And, always, remember to sing the Money Song. Or the Not Going to be Homeless song depending on your situation. Productivity translates into money on multiple levels. Money translates into being able to do the things you want to do in your free time–like having a roof over your head.

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