I think every freelancer has had this problem at some point—you get a job that you think is only going to take a certain amount of time, only to discover that it’s far more involved than what you first anticipated, and you need to reevaluate.

Or maybe your power suddenly goes out, and you find yourself needing to go somewhere else to complete a job.

Or maybe your client comes to you with an emergency, begging you to find the time to help them.

Now, my planner is just about the most important thing in my life—without the structure it gives me, I’d probably never get anything done. I begin every week by taking the tasks I need to do and assigning them to a day.

But while I rely on that structure, I’m always willing to rearrange things.

My trick is to always “schedule” things before their due dates whenever possible. If I know I need a draft by Friday, I write it down for Wednesday. That way, if something comes up and I’m unable to do it for whatever reason, I’m able to move the task without issue.

I think being flexible is one of the most important skills a freelancer can have. And I think it’s one of the greatest benefits a client gets when hiring one.

If you have any tips or tricks when it comes to staying flexible, let me know!