Taking client phone calls on the train to work. Late nights QAing projects. Break time sacrificed to ‘just get one more thing done’, only to realise it’s 4pm and I haven’t eaten.
This was common for me when I worked in agencies full-time. I never considered myself a ‘career-first’ person but somehow I’d managed to prioritise work above most other things. The problem for me was capacity in a full-time position felt almost limitless. You have more time to work with so it’s easier to push and pull projects in a way that everything slots in. However, because of this constant malleable workload, it was hard to find clear boundaries and some months my plate was completely overflowing. This was all because I used to be your typical ‘yes-girl’ – but moving to freelance made me realise that was a negative choice I was making. Here are five signs you may be a ‘yes-person’:
You feel stressed with your workload but still say yes when a team member asks you for something.
If there is a fire to put out you feel obligated to manage it – even though other people could handle it.
When you have to tell a client or employer you don’t have capacity you feel extremely guilty.
You have a history of performing tasks that are outside of your interests or expertise just so you can please your employer or client.
When your employer doesn’t listen to capacity issues, instead of pushing back you take on more work to ease the rest of the team.
If you’re nodding along to this and it sounds like you, then I know you’ll get me. On the other hand, if you think the person above sounds crazy then I applaud you for finding your boundaries sooner than I did.
I’ve been working as a PM freelancer for over a year and here are three things I’ve realised:
Oh, this is what balance feels like.
Being a freelancer has given me complete control of my calendar. No more having to be at the office at 8:30am or being glued to my phone during business hours. Although some people say they struggle with freelance because there are no set hours, I found it empowering. Because I’m not always restricted to 9-5, I feel there is freedom in being able to work whenever I feel like it and still get paid. For instance, a lot of the time I like doing deep-thinking tasks at night between 6-9pm. Working for an employer makes this sort of working difficult, but as a freelancer I can go to the beach for a few hours during the day if I want and still be able to knock out the work when I am most energised for it.
Tracking my time more diligently using Harvest also plays a role in consciously spending time in a way that works for me. I often naturally feel like a pause from work at 1-2pm. At this point, I check how much time I have tracked and reflect on how much more I needed to do today and – most importantly – where I am mentally. Some days I’m fired up by the work I’m doing and decide to power through, but some days I need a reset. This usually means signing off for 2-3 hours to do an activity or rest and come back fully recharged for some late-night work.
The power I have over my day makes me feel much more productive because I’m able to use my mental power when it’s at its best (more on that soon).
It’s okay if I’m unavailable.
I used to have this self-imposed pressure to always answer the phone if a client called, even if the timing was inconvenient or disruptive. Now that I make my own hours, work for multiple businesses and work from home, I have to enforce boundaries so I can function and focus. If I’m deep-working on a task, my phone is probably on silent or in another room. If a client has to leave a voicemail, it’s not the end of the world, and if it is for them, they’re probably not the sort of client I want anyway.
The simple realisation that it’s not a failure if you don’t answer a client call really changed my stress levels and anxiety. Say it with me: “I’m allowed to be unavailable!”
Listening to your brain can improve productivity.
My brain is a fussy little creature. Depending on the time of day, my mood or how much coffee is pumping through my veins I can be more effective at different tasks. Now that I set my own hours, I’ve learnt how to listen to what I’m feeling and choose tasks that harness my current mindset, rather than trying to force myself to do a task I’m not in the mood for. There’s no point forcing that productivity (which can feel draining) when I have freedom to take control over how and when I do my tasks. I feel much more productive because of this.
So what’s my point?
I’m not saying everyone should become a freelance PM, but I am saying:
If you’re overworking yourself or are a chronic ‘yes-person’ then it is likely a lot of the boundary issues are self-imposed – or you may be working for the wrong company.
Sitting down and reflecting on what makes you feel productive and how you like to work is incredibly important. Consider discussing these reflections with your employers – I wish I had!
It’s normal for focus and productivity to fluctuate. Getting to know your natural rhythm, triggers for focus and methods for recharging is incredibly helpful. Learning how to utilise all of this together can make a massive difference to your overall productivity.