Nice idea, I'd love to know how everyone copes with the huge amount of tasks we have to deal with as "entrepreneurial linguists"!
Personally, I am a big fan of task management. I use:
- a bullet journal to list tasks (I even wrote an article about it, in French)
- time trackers on my computers and phones (Toggle, RescueTime)
Every Friday, I gather all information and evaluate the time I needed for every project/client/task. This helped me realise I needed and accountant!
Usually, I try and divide my week in "typical days". Wednesday is a free day, usually dedicated to billing, learning, etc. Monday and Thursday are big productivity days (for hard tasks like translation, writing, editing, etc.) and Tuesday and Friday are less productive days (fewer hours, easier tasks like tendering, social media writing and planning, marketing, prospecting, etc.). Whenever possible, I do no work-related activities during the week-end.
Finally, I structure every day as much as I can: I wake up early to do a bit of sport, then I eat properly and get ready to work. I work for a few hours (with the Pomodoro Technique, which forces me to take several breaks). I stop for lunch time and a nap (love it!) and then resume my work doing lighter tasks (I am less efficient in the afternoon) until late afternoon. The evenings are free: work, chill time, sport, reading, household... I do whatever I fancy.
All these little tricks help me tackle more tasks than before. I think knowing yourself is the key to get organised and to feel more relaxed!
