You really need discipline and a schedule to be a successful freelancer. You don't want to be the person who takes all her work to Starbucks and ends up people-watching for three hours. Your time is money. You must record all your deadlines and assignments, allot time for each of them and decide what takes priority.
In this simulation, let's say Project 1 requires the least work (30 minutes) but is due earliest, Project 2 requires slightly more work (2 hours) but is due latest, Project 3 requires the most amount of work (5 hours) and is due on Friday, and Project 4 requires the same amount of work as Project 2 (2 hours) and is due Saturday. How might you effectively allot your time? Below is a super basic example that could apply to most things.
| Mon. | Tues. | Weds. | Thurs. | Fri. | Sat. | Sun. | |
| Project 1 | 15 min | 15 min | DUE | ||||
| Project 2 | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min | DUE | ||
| Project 3 | 1.5 hours | 1 hour | 1.5 hours | 1 hour | DUE | ||
| Project 4 | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min | DUE |
Give yourself some wiggle room here. Nothing ever takes the exact amount of time you think it will and you may burn out before your 1.5 hours is up. You will also want to edit and look back over your work. You may even want to share it with someone else to have them look it over-in this case, do not ask them to do it the same day the work is due. Allow for other unforeseen and foreseen circumstances as well, if you need to nap to recharge, add that into your schedule. Consider keeping this information in a Google Doc.
One of the worst things a freelancer can do is get so involved in one project, others get neglected or fall by the wayside. You may churn out one great project, but in the process you have burned other bridges and shown you are not reliable nor disciplined. One project may interest you over others, but it's crucial that you establish a timeline and work according to it.
If you choose to work for home, you must set up a space that is solely for working and stick to it. Set up the hours you will spend there and only use that time for working (with occasional breaks). Don't have temptations around you, and disable the Internet if necessary. There are a number of websites that help you track your work and even start deleting what you've produced if you procrastinate too long! Sounds like a nightmare, but it's one way to get your work done despite the voices in your head!