The 2.5 hours period is not feasible for many projects. Also human brain likes changes. For example if you are doing 2.5 hours routine and you get bored of it, then you can change to 1.5 hours routine with shorter breaks. This way your brain feels refreshed.

I would love to go for a swim but it just never happens. During work pressure I just cant take the time to get out and have a fun day for myself. But I do take the time to cook. Cooking is my hobby so it kinda makes me relaxed when I cook or bake something.

But whatever it is, making time table or scheduling work usually helps. I always feel I am more productive and it also gives me positive vibes to continue working.

Staying healthy is important during these times, I tend to eat the most unhealthy things when I am working. So now I take the time out to go grocery shopping and put fruit eating sessions into my schedule too. also I used to eat a pizza everytime I would get hungry, because its very convenient to order and eat. But now I take the time to cook myself proper lunch and dinner.

However, I feel like I am becoming anti social by doing all this. But I guess its just growing up and leaving the extensive overnight parties behind.

 

I tried several times to work on the pre-compiled rapisaniyu, I have never what happened)
This is possible with a permanent job or a group of clients with whom you work for a very long time)
As a rule, I have a permanent job to plan, but I also work on freelancing, which is completely unpredictable. Today you have no clients, and you can afford to relax, and tomorrow you managed to conclude several contracts for 1-3 months at once. Sitting without work for a couple of weeks, you will certainly take care of everything you can master and will work 16 hours a day. How not to plan your graph, in any case, if you are engaged in freelancing, your life schedule will falter).

 

Yeah, this is the thing with freelancing - my friend calls it 'Feast and Famine'. One day you're drowning in work and the next you're twiddling your thumbs

 

That’s so true. The kind of projects I take on comes during the end of semester every semester in every academic year. And that’s the time I am under most pressure because I am also doing my masters. And that time I am just drowning in work.

Also people put unreasonable deadlines on freelancers, few days ago I found one of the best projects that I would want to do. And the pay was absolutely great. But the person asked me to do it in 5 days. He wanted me to build a flight simulator in 5 days. I was shocked. It’s a job that takes a group of engineers weeks to do. Me and 4 others made a similar simulator after 14 days of day and night of work. This client on the other hand wanted one guy working alone and doing it in 5 days. If I had my previous group of engineers I would have taken the job and divided the pay equally but I didn’t want to go through all the pressure and work load and just 5 days.

 

One of the hardest things about freelancing is know when to say "no, thats not for me". You do always wonder where your next order is coming from and it is stressful but sometimes that kind of stress can bring the best out of you.

 

Yeah, totally, and also how your goalposts for, "that's not for me" change depending on how desperate for work you are!

I also agree with MSH about the crazy demands. I used to keep a note of the worst or weirdest requests I'd ever had. Some people once wanted a fully-functional Batcycle motorbike making for $500!

 

Oh my, someone wanted a batmobile? That’s amazing, that too fully functional.

Usually the student have trouble with paying enough money, they argue for 10USD they make up excuses as to why they cant put the money in escrow because they are scared they would be mugged by the freelancer, etc.

The big companies are rather amazing, they pay much better, don’t argue as much. Don’t have stupid requests. Like once a client made me code a full FEM code 3 times because he himself didn’t know what he wanted and just paid me for doing it once saying I was the one doing it wrong. I was new to this business that time so I had no idea what I should have done, so I just did his work again and again until he cleared my payment.

Big projects are much better though.

 

The best bit of advice I could give anyone is to stop digging if you are in a hole. If you are going to miss your deadline just tell the client, explain you are sorry and why there will be a delay. The vast majority will be fine with you - they will appreciate your honesty. Also, when you give them a new deadline, make sure you can deliver!

 

Yes, I fully agree. Just level with them and communicate! Often they don't mind, as long as you keep them informed.