F50 Issue #36: March 18, 2025
Renew Your Focus: Solve Five Types of Clutter in Your Freelance Business
“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun … and … SNAP! The job’s a game!”
Do you recognize that quote? For many of us, it’s a familiar voice from our childhood — Julie Andrews playing Mary Poppins in the 1964 movie. She’s looking after two children named Jane and Michael Banks, who need help cleaning their messy nursery.
And here’s the element of fun—she shows them how to clean it up by merely snapping their fingers.
Snap! Clothes jump into her arms fully folded.
Snap! Two beds make themselves.
Snap! Toy soldiers march themselves into the toy chest.
You get the idea. And wouldn’t it be great if you could do the same thing in your own home and business?
When you work as a freelancer, your home office and business operations can become as untidy as Jane and Michael’s nursery. When it comes time for spring-cleaning (or any type of seasonal cleaning), suddenly you notice you’re surrounded by clutter. And this clutter can affect your productivity and concentration.
But how do you add an element of fun and motivation to the task? After all, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to snap your fingers like Mary Poppins.
You could use Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method and ask yourself if certain items “spark joy.” But that might not be the right question for decluttering a business.
The Tiny Habits® Method
In a podcast episode called “How Editors Can Create Habits That Stick,” Tara Whitaker introduced the “Tiny Habits® Method.” It involves a simple recipe (ABC) for forming achievable habits that she describes in one sentence:
“A is for anchor.
“B is for behavior.
“C is for celebration.
“The sentence looks like this: ‘After I _______ (anchor), I will _______ (behavior). I will celebrate by ____________ (celebration).’”
So, if you’re going to declutter your business, you can start with one tiny habit you can build on over time. For example,
“After I finish eating breakfast (anchor), I will tidy one small section of my office (behavior). I will celebrate by listening to my favorite song (celebration).”
This recipe helps you focus on one small, achievable task that prevents you from becoming overwhelmed by the big picture. If you create a series of recipes like this, you can clean different parts of your business, and before you know it, you’ll be done!
It also adds an element of fun that Mary Poppins would approve of.
So, with that in mind, let’s start tidying up!
How to Solve Five Types of Clutter in Your Freelance Business
1. Physical Clutter
The Problem: Your home office is messy! Over time, your desk has become cluttered with office supplies, papers, knickknacks, and Post-It Notes. Sometimes, your office doubles as a storage room for extra household items, shrinking the amount of space available to you.
The Solution: Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by tackling the entire room at once. First, divide the room into sections and do an inventory of which items are contributing to the clutter. For example, if you have papers strewn across your desk, look through them and decide which ones can be filed in a cabinet and which ones can be shredded. Make a “Tiny Habit” recipe for each small pile of papers you clear away, and continue using that habit to prevent further clutter.
2. Mental Clutter
The Problem: You sit down to work, and your mind wanders. Unfinished tasks and worries distract you. New ideas pop into your head, unrelated to the task at hand. You need to focus, but your mind is taking you for a ride on a roller coaster when all you want to do is to sit calmly and work.
The Solution: Get those thoughts and emotions out of your head so you can focus on other things. For example, after drinking your morning coffee or finishing breakfast, start by jotting down one lingering thought in a diary or note-taking app. Then, put a sticker beside it, or celebrate in whatever way brings you joy and motivation.
3. Digital Clutter
The Problem: You open your email inbox, and it’s full of unread messages. You’ve heard of the “Inbox Zero” technique, but yours is more like “Inbox 5,000.” Just as you settle in to read some of them, a useless notification for an unused app pops up on your phone. Then you remember you need to find a file for your client, but you can’t remember where you saved it and which version is the most current one.
The Solution: There’s a lot going on here, but take it one step at time. Create a “Tiny Habit” to address each type of digital clutter you face. For example, try doing small tasks like these regularly:
- Clear away two unread emails.
- Delete one unused app per day.
- Silence unnecessary notifications as they pop up.
- Create a folder and organize one computer file at a time.
4. Systems Clutter
The Problem: Your workflows and routine tasks take longer than they should. For example, when managing your clients and finances, you toggle between more than one tool. Or, even worse, you don’t have any tools at all and rely simply on Word Docs and emails going back and forth.
The Solution: Make a list of all the workflows and tasks you need to accomplish in your business. Focus on one at a time, and research how you can make it simpler. For example, consider using an all-in-one tool like HoneyBook to streamline your client activities and financial management. Have fun trying free trials one by one until you find the tool that works best for you.
5. Time Clutter
The Problem: Your schedule is overloaded. Without proper calendar management, you’ve overbooked yourself and caused time conflicts. Your project deadlines are way too tight, and somehow you need to be in two places at once. You want to spend quality time with your friends and family, but you’re being pulled in too many directions.
The Solution: Examine how you’re currently managing your time. Do you need to use a new calendar app or physical day planner? To clear up existing clutter, start by canceling or rescheduling one conflicting appointment at a time. Repeat the process until your schedule is more manageable. And for long-term decluttering, establish boundaries to protect your time (e.g. using time blocking or another time management technique).
This tidying may be a work in progress, but continue to celebrate and reward yourself when you complete each small task. You’ll get there! In the meantime, you’re developing healthy habits that will ultimately strengthen your business.
Handy Tools
With many distractions swirling around us, the Calm app can provide some calm in the storm. If you’re suffering from mental clutter, you can access breathing exercises and stress relief programs to help soothe anxiety.
Calm also helps you sleep using “Sleep Stories” (bedtime stories for grownups), soundscapes, and music. And you can “live mindfully” and build healthy habits by accessing daily guided programs.
Download Calm from Apple’s App Store or Google Play. It’s available for free or as a paid Premium plan with a 14-day free trial.
Freelance After 50 Feature Video:
5 Best Side Hustles for Over 50 (Beat Inflation & Earn More in 2025!)
Looking for the best side hustles for people over 50 to boost your income in 2025? Whether you want to beat inflation, work flexibly, or start something new, these five side hustles are perfect for you!
In this video, Craig Cannings explores consulting, tutoring, content creation, podcast production & outreach, and social media & community management—all great ways to earn extra income while leveraging your experience.
Don’t let age hold you back—start your side hustle today!
Craig and Kelly Cannings
PS. Stay tuned for more information about a FREE 3-day virtual event coming up in April! We’re bringing together 15+ freelancing experts and successful freelancers to help you get started, land your first client and thrive as a remote freelancer in your 50s and beyond. More details to come next week!
Craig & Kelly
Co-founders of Freelance University
