You're a freelancer in enterprise software. How do you balance your work and personal life?

1 Define your goals and priorities

Before you take on any project or client, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what is important to you as a freelancer in enterprise software. Do you want to work on a specific type of project, such as cloud, AI, or ERP? Do you want to focus on a specific industry, such as healthcare, finance, or education? Do you want to work with a certain size or location of clients, such as startups, Fortune 500, or global? Do you want to work full-time, part-time, or on-demand? Do you want to earn a certain income, build a portfolio, or learn new skills? By defining your goals and priorities, you can filter out the projects and clients that are not aligned with your vision and values, and focus on the ones that are.

2 Set realistic expectations and boundaries

Once you have your goals and priorities in place, you need to communicate them clearly and consistently to your clients and yourself. You need to set realistic expectations and boundaries for your work, such as how much time and effort you can devote to each project, how often and how you will communicate with your clients, how you will handle changes and feedback, and how you will measure and deliver quality and value. You also need to respect your own boundaries and limits, such as when you will start and end your workday, how you will manage your workload and stress, and how you will deal with distractions and interruptions. By setting realistic expectations and boundaries, you can avoid overcommitting, underdelivering, or burning out.

3 Plan and organize your work

As a freelancer in enterprise software, you need to be able to plan and organize your work efficiently and effectively. You need to have a system that helps you track and manage your projects, tasks, deadlines, deliverables, invoices, and payments. You also need to have a routine that helps you structure and optimize your workday, such as when you will work on your most important or creative tasks, when you will check your emails or calls, when you will take breaks or exercise, and when you will review your progress or plan your next steps. You can use various tools and techniques to help you plan and organize your work, such as calendars, timers, to-do lists, project management software, or agile methodologies.

4 Learn and grow continuously

As a freelancer in enterprise software, you need to keep learning and growing continuously to stay relevant and competitive in the fast-changing and dynamic field of enterprise software. You need to update your knowledge and skills on the latest technologies, frameworks, standards, and best practices in enterprise software. You also need to expand your network and reputation in the enterprise software community, by connecting with other freelancers, experts, mentors, or clients, and by sharing your work, insights, or feedback. You can use various resources and opportunities to help you learn and grow continuously, such as online courses, podcasts, blogs, newsletters, webinars, conferences, or hackathons.

5 Balance your work and personal life

As a freelancer in enterprise software, you need to balance your work and personal life to maintain your well-being and happiness. You need to find time and space for your hobbies, interests, passions, or causes, outside of your work. You also need to nurture your relationships with your family, friends, partners, or peers, who can support you, inspire you, or challenge you. You can use various strategies and practices to help you balance your work and personal life, such as setting boundaries, delegating tasks, outsourcing services, automating processes, or using do not disturb mode.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?