Image Source: Photo by Garrhet Sampson onĀ Unsplash
Sometimes, I miss the fixed routine that a day job gave me. At least, I knew I stopped working post 6 pm!
Iāve been a solopreneur for more than a year now. Iāve been leading a flexible life, but a chaotic one at the same time.
As a solopreneur, you donāt know when your work day ends and when it starts.
You ābelieveā your work and life are seamlessly blending into each otherā¦but you soon realise itās a mythāāāyouāre actually just about surviving, unable to maintain any semblance of work-life balance.
Whatās more, you stop knowing which role you play when, and youāre probably talking shop the whole day long, and networking even in your sleep.
To top it all, youāre looked upon as someone āglamorousā, who can afford the luxury of working at your own timeā¦ When in fact, you are actually working on everyone elseās schedule, and barely managing to keep your own.
So, this blogās for all of you solopreneurs, who are juggling so much without showing itā¦ Here are some hacks to help you ace your gameā¦ More power to you! And feel free to add your own hacks in the comment box below.
Rise Early
Yes, the only way to get more into your day is by rising earlyā¦ Iām the kind of person who can sleep all day, but when Iām thrown at the deep end of the oceanāāāread, when Iām a solopreneurāāāI know the only way to cross to the other end is by waking up earlyā¦
It gives me more hours in the day, makes me more energetic, and allows me to conduct the various activities I need to finish.
Keep a schedule
However loose and sketchy your day ahead may be, have some idea of what you would like to achieve by the end of it. When you have a goal in mind, the likelihood of focusing on that task and achieving it is much higher.
Also, create a schedule keeping in mind your body clockā¦ So, for instance I can focus more on writing before lunch, hence I schedule meetings and any other admin jobs post lunch.
Continue to Collaborate
As solopreneurs, we tend to get wrapped up in our cocoonsā¦we believe we can mange our shows alone. But itās important to keep working in collaboration, so as to not lose your ability of working in teams.
Working closely with clients at their locations will expose you to people in different team functions. This will also keep you abreast of the current work culture, even though youāre outside a company.
Make your network your team
As a solopreneur, you may feel you have limited resources, especially manpowerā¦but thatās not trueā¦
When I launched my recent publication on Medium called Pink Pinjra, someone asked me, āWhoās your teamā, and I instantly answered, āThe world!ā Because technically anyone can be a co-creator on the platform.
The same principle applies to your work too. You will be amazed by the number of people in your network who you could collaborate with. The key, though, is to stay in touch, reach out, and make your askā¦ And, of course, donāt forget to repay the favor, and help them find the same support in you.
So, dear solopreneurs, the journey is not a lonely one, and you neednāt struggle to find a balance. All you need to do is organize yourself, tap into your multiple resources, know youāre not alone, and reach out to the world when you need to!
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