As a freelancer, you’re probably continuously trying to maximize your time and be as productive as possible.
Well this is your unlucky day because I’m going to distract you with this article about how you can do the exact opposite.
Behold: 7 habits of highly unproductive freelancers:
1. Spend an hour in bed after you wake up looking at things on your phone
Check your email the second your eyes open.
Then check Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and maybe even Pinterest.
Then go back and check your email again. Then check your other email. Then check Facebook again…just in case you missed something since the last time you checked it…
Before you know it, you will have wasted the morning
2. Work on projects without any deadlines or milestones
Do a little jig in your head when the client says there is no deadline because you think hey less pressure, I’ll actually be able to think deep and hard on this one.
But the reality of no deadline means you prioritize all the stuff with deadlines and your no deadline projects remain at the bottom of your to-do list – indefinitely.
3. Don’t go outside. Develop a weird complex about going outside versus not going outside.
Tell yourself you’ll go outside the house at some point today but only after you get some work done. Proceed to procrastinate said work because you actually want to just go outside for a minute and get some air.
But tell yourself you can’t go outside until you get something done. Procrastinate more because you want to go outside. Then freak out when it starts getting dark outside because you just lost your chance to enjoy the day, outside.
Promise yourself the next day that you’ll go outside and actually end up doing it, then spend a lot of brain energy congratulating yourself for time managed well.
4. Panic about having to eat lunch
Don’t make lunch ahead of time and be annoyed by the fact that you have to stop everything you’re doing just to make and eat lunch. Have no plan for lunch and spend too much time trying to decide what to make. Put off lunch until 3pm. Become hangry and unproductive in the meantime.
5. Wear your pajamas to work
DEADLY SIN OF UNPRODUCTIVE SINS.
Don’t change out of your pajamas until 2 pm. Try to wear your glasses instead of your contact lenses because they’re better for your eyes and you actually quite like the way they look. But be held back productivity-wise by the literal glass between your face and your computer screen. And because you only wear your glasses at night and in the morning when you’re tired so it feels kinda like that, but in the middle of the day.
6. Insist on finishing something you can’t finish before doing anything else
Spend the whole day trying to brainstorm or strategize for a project on which you’re feeling completely blocked. Refuse to move on and work on something else until you get this out of the way. Spend all day free writing and trying to get it done but not actually getting anything done.
7. Watch a YouTube video…
Or two or three or FOUR HUNDRED because just one more can’t hurt, right?
Photo credit: Goldie Winston, 2013

All of these are SO true. I’m definitely guilty of falling down the YouTube rabbit hole when I’m procrastinating π
Yes it’s such a rabbit hole!!
Yes, girl, preach! This is exactly right! I’m so guilty of not always changing out of my PJs early in the day. It really is a productivity killer – you’re 100!
Completely. I tend to just struggle with mornings in general and not getting dressed just makes it worse.
Ha- yep! Sounds about right!
This is me! I don’t get outside enough and I am usually working in my pjs! If I am really involved in a blogging project, I go for the easiest thing to make for lunch, unless of course I need to make a recipe for my blog!
Ha I should start blogging about lunch food – then maybe I would better prepare for mealtime.
LOL you just described a day in my life! Though I’m only part-time freelancing, so I get to wear non-pyjama clothes some days haha. These are all so true though. Man, I’m guilty!
There’s definitely a part of me that misses the “going to” part of “going to work”…
It’s like you watch me work daily…this post is brilliantly funny and I just pinned it to share the fun.
Thanks Renee and thank you for the support!
I definitely have some of these. I am in pjs waaayy too much!
Oh man I am definitely guilty of a few of those… I should work on that. lol
go on Pinterest and go down the rabbit hole π
Loved the post.
Thanks Anne. Yes Pinterest is such a rabbit hole!
OMG #1 just kills me! I just did that this morning… Thank you for the REALITY check!! Back to being productive π
Haha I know #1 is that thing you don’t want to admit to yourself that you do…but you do it. I need to get it out of my life though.
I love reverse psychology posts. This is great!
Wow wow UNCOMFORTABLY real. You just read my day* back to me, and I cannot stop laughing.
*week. also month.
Hahaha thank you. I really enjoy this comment.
So true! Especially number two and three are totally me…
I actually just started telling no-deadline clients stuff like “I’ll send you a first draft tomorrow afternoon” – that way, I feel accountable if only to not look like a liar. π
But seriously, the ‘going outside’ thing is terrible! I love moving around, working outdoors or just going somewhere, but don’t allow it when I feel like I should work instead, which is always. Sigh.
Hi Evelyne,
Yeah getting outside can be hard– but SO important! I still struggle with all of these even after essentially calling myself out on them in this post haha. Thanks for stopping by!
LOL. I read this at 2:00 …just after getting out of the pj/sweats for the house. Only had to get “presentable” for repairman coming π
Haha I totally know the feeling! You are not alone trust me
Haha totally similar habits …
Haha yes!