Although working for yourself has a myriad of benefits, there is a large hurdle that one must overcome to avoid wasting such a amazing opportunity: lack of structure. When you work a regular job, you have to show up at the same time everyday. Your routine becomes forced upon you, but nonetheless, you have a routine.

But when you start taking your own path, such restrictions don’t exist. You can book client meetings at any time you like, start work at 4am or 4pm, and can work intermittently throughout the day. As long as you are making enough to satisfy your income requirements and goals, you can work 1 hour a day or 20. Here are some difficulties I have had with managing this new lifestyle and some insight into how I manage this.

The Issues

One thing that I noticed is initially, and intermittently afterwards, I fell into the exact same routine as when working a corporate job. One of the things I disliked most about corporate life was that after work, everything would be so busy. Activities like bouldering are much less enjoyable to me when you have to wait in line for the route you are projecting. It has to be this way, because the only time most people can enjoy such activities is past 5pm. But even though I had the option to go when it was less busy, I was still doing the stuck in the same routine as everyone else. We are creatures of habit, and I realised I had to consciously break this habit.

Another issue is working too much. Although it is very important to work as hard as you can, it’s easy to fall into the trap of just working all the time. When you work for yourself, you care about the work a great deal more, and are more motivated to get things done. When working a corporate job, you can of course work just as hard, but there is a natural wind up and wind down to the day. Your peers arrive and leave, which helps to control the amount you work. When you don’t have such a structure to control the amount you work, overwork is a very real possibility.

Some Solutions

So what are some ways we can change this?

Force yourself to work at different hours. For example, some days I have adopted an extended lunch approach. Instead of taking the regular one hour lunch break, I take 3, and then make up the rest of the time by working earlier in the morning, or later into the evening. Not only does this break up your day, leaving you more refreshed for your post-work lunch sessions, but you now have some extra time in the day to visit that gallery, or the shop that always closes at 5pm, without sacrificing productivity!

I have also taken an adaptive approach to the total hours worked in the day. Let’s say that one day, I’m really on a roll. I’m getting a lot done, in the zone. On days like this, you don’t want to stop working until the day is up. So, take advantage of that! Work as much as you want. Then the next day, you can work a couple hours less. Spend that time experiencing life. Meet a friend for a coffee, take a longer run than usual, whatever you like. Some days, the stars just don’t align and you can’t get anything done. After giving it a fair crack, it’s okay to come back later after taking a break. Then, you can make up for this time another day. By aligning yourself with the natural flow of your work, you actually get more done, and avoid working for the sake of working, which is unproductive. I have found that my capacity for work has increased, as well as the quality.

Another great approach is to say yes to things you would have had to say no to before. Maybe someone you know is graduating or a friend has just had a surgery and needs a bit of looking after. Your new flexible schedule allows you to take these opportunities, so say yes! You can always make up the time by working on the weekend or a few extra hours into the night. This forces you to switch things up, which helps you break the standard routine.

Finally, a word on goal setting. It’s really important to set two sets of goals, work goals and non-work goals. Non-work goals are important because they enrich your life outside of work. For me, these goals are centred around fitness, music, relationships, travel, reading, and another other thing that captures my interest at that moment in time (right now it’s chess!). These give you a reason to utilise the flexible time you have available. Conversely, it’s important to set work goals so you don’t spend all your time in leisure! These goals should be ambitious, challenging and helpful to your mission. With these sets of goals, you have a great compass to guide you to the life you want to lead.

Note:

For me, to achieve my goals, it’s necessary that I am working most of the time but for you, that might not be the case! Set the goals and work hours that help you reach your personal goals!

Sometimes the biggest barrier in our lives is the ones that we put for ourselves, and even if our circumstances change, if we don’t change ourselves, we risk minimising your potential. You are your own worst enemy but also your biggest ally, utilise the opportunity you have!