Not everyone who starts out as a freelance translator is successful in their endeavor.

A career in freelance translation sounds very exciting and, let’s face it, who wouldn’t love to work at home, at their own pace, and according to their own rules?

Unfortunately, not everyone who starts out as a freelance translator is successful in their endeavors because they discover along the way that the unstructured nature of a freelance career doesn’t suit their personality. Because they have the freedom to work to their own time schedule they find they end up watching television, going shopping, endlessly cleaning the house, and so on, instead of working. Anyone who succeeds as a freelance translator, or indeed any other freelance job, knows how to manage their time and understands that they must be able to meet strict deadlines without external supervision.

So what are the secrets of succeeding as a freelance translator, and what time management skills are used by translators who are successfully running their freelance business from home? Below we’ve listed some time management strategies which can basically be tailored to anyone’s personality and work style. Interestingly, most people who run their business from home will admit that they spend more time working than they do cleaning their house, but that’s a good thing! At least they don’t miss deadlines!

Use Reminders for What You Need to Achieve

If you sit down at your computer and you have no visual cues looking back at you, it can become very easy to be diverted away from what you’re supposed to be doing. You need visual reminders of the tasks you need to achieve that day because, without these reminders, you’ll end up reading the e-news, checking your email, making yourself another cup of coffee, and so on, and before you know it half your working day has passed. We all know how quickly time passes when we’re on our computer, and whether we’re simply surfing the net looking for a great bargain, or checking our emails, computers can be a great time waster. Have a to-do list, pop-ups on your computer, or post-it notes attached to the side of your screen – whatever it takes to remind you that you’re there to work.

Enjoy Your Chosen Career

People who enjoy their work are some of the happiest people we know, and we know that most people are only working in their jobs because they need to pay their bills – they don’t necessarily enjoy their work. When you love what you do you find yourself looking forward to the day ahead, and there’s very little temptation to avoid work. So if you love translation, and you love working from home, then do whatever it takes to make these choices work for you. Be happy! You have a great lifestyle!