Creating the perfect work / life balance as an SEO freelancer

Moving onto more of a relaxing topic, one of the main reasons a lot of SEOs who have a family go freelance is to create a better work / life balance.

As a freelancer, it is up to you when you work and how much you work. You can go for a day-out during school holidays then catch-up on your work in the evening. You may even decide to do a half-day every Friday.

Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

Be your own boss and you can decide when you work and when you don’t.

In reality, it does not always work out that way…

> Deadlines happen.
> Emergency problem solving projects happen.
> Your international client requests a call at 9pm.
> A client does not pay on time so you need to bring rapid money into the business to pay your bills.
> Your monthly update meetings overruns so you must make the time up.

In my personal experience when I ran my own SEO freelance business, to create that ideal work / life balance and ensure great productivity, I would…

> Block timeslots in my diary fully dedicated to doing a certain job and never let myself get distracted.
> Make sure that all my clients knew when it was acceptable to call me or request a call. Set your boundaries so you don’t get a call at Sunday afternoon in the middle of a family meal.
> Do not have your social media accounts tabbed onto your browser. Set time slots to go through your social media accounts or you might find half a day wasted chatting with a fellow SEO about some new shiny thing within the industry.

Be productive with set timeslots but allow yourself to be flexible if an emergency crops up.

It is also important that your partner (wife, husband, partner) fully supports you with going freelance and accepts that sometimes you may need to work outside the usual 9-5. Life will change for your whole family so it important that they back you all the way.

Remember!

Productivity will be the key to ensuring the perfect work / life (family) balance. Don’t get distracted and put your phone on silent.