Productivity can be hard to come by even if you’re working hard. For freelancers it’s an important part of making a living. To be a successful freelancer, you need to be productive. Getting distracted with tasks, or failing to maximize time, is a common problem problem for those who are new to freelancing. If this sounds familiar, here are five productivity tips to help you reach your goals.

Organize your to-do list by time or date

Most people rely on a to-do list to organize their tasks, but not everyone has what it takes to finish all of these tasks on time. Plenty of jobs on a to-do list end up being forgotten because of time or resource constraints. An easy way to get around this issue is by better organizing your to-do list. Schedule each task for completion ahead of time. Give yourself enough time to finish tasks by arranging them in hourly or daily blocks. While doing these tasks, don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Turn off social media, stay at your desk, and devote all of your attention on finishing the task.

Isolate time-wasting distractions

If you identify time wasters, you’ll be much more productive. Unproductive, uncoordinated meetings are an example of time wasters. Meetings that start too late and fail to have a focus can not only waste your time, but also that of your co-workers. The same can be said for meetings that go on for too long. If possible, schedule shorter meetings. There is no rule that states that every meeting should be an hour long.

Other distractions include email and social media management. Go through your email in the morning to avoid having it distract you from work. If you want, you can also check your email at night before turning in for bed. Consider hiring someone to manage your brand’s social media profiles and avoid opening your private profiles while in the office. Your goal should be to ultimately figure out what tasks take too much of your time and to later optimize or remove them entirely.

Don’t multitask all the time

Multitasking can be a great way to finish multiple tasks at once, but it also can be detrimental to your productivity. Focusing on too many things at once can lead to you not getting anything done. Sometimes, it’s simply more effective to handle one task at a time and commit to it until it’s finished. This way, your thoughts won’t be all over the place and you can also better organize your time.

Get help

An easy way to improve productivity is by hiring help to meet the day-to-day demands of your business. Sites like Freelancer or UpWork are great places to find eager workers who are willing to work at an affordable price. You can find writers, ghostwriters, social media managers, editors, and administrative assistants for cheap. These are usually youths who are fresh out of college and looking for experience instead of a permanent job. Getting someone to handle the easier but time-consuming aspects of your business can help you focus on the tasks that demand your full attention.

Get out more

Entrepreneurs often find themselves staring at a blank computer screen but unable to do anything. Although a lot of things can contribute to this lack of productivity, sometimes the problem stems from your environment. Switching locations can help you restore your interest in a task. Consider going out more; work at a coffee shop or restaurant, or hold a meeting somewhere outside your office. A fresh, new environment just might be what you need to refocus on your business.

Productivity is one of the important factors that determines success. An entrepreneur who doesn’t know how to optimize his or her time will have trouble running his or her business. Following these tips will help you to increase your day-to-day productivity.