If you don’t have enough Happiness in your day-to-day freelance work, you’re not doing it right.

    The fact of the matter is that whether you’re a writer, designer, or other sort of freelancer, there are plenty of different types of work you can do to keep your days from becoming too monotonous.

    Still, there are times when you’ve got to do some mundane tasks. You might have a design gig for a client with no imagination. You might have to write 150 pages of SEO content on household cleaning. We all have to keep our books, deal with clients, and pay our bills.

    I’ve found that one of the best ways to get through a drudge of a day is to insert some creativity in the process. Here are some things I’ve done to find more joy in my work, and make those everyday tasks just a little bit more enjoyable:

    Customize your workspace

    You don’t work in a corporate office. You don’t have to deal with the buzz of florescent lights all day long, or stare endlessly at the drab gray cubicle walls. As a freelancer, you have the opportunity to design your own workspace. Sure, you’re limited by space and budget, but there are some basic things you can do to make your workspace more joyful. For example, you can:

    * Install some nice track lighting, or get a stylish lamp for your desk.
    * Invest the money in a high-quality office chair.
    * Add some decoration to your desk, whether it’s pictures of your family or your favorite piece of pottery.
    * Pick up a small surround-sound system for your MP3 player and install it in your office.

    These are things that people who work in cubicles can’t do. These relatively minor changes to your workspace can make your work time much more pleasant.

    Find a schedule that works for you

    Some people work better doing all of their boring, mundane tasks at the same time. If that’s you, pick one day a week, perhaps, to do all of your most inane tasks.

    If you’re like me, though, you can’t stand the thought of a single day full of joyless tasks. I prefer to identify those tasks and spread them out through my day and week. That way, I’ve only ever got to deal with one of these tasks for a few minutes, and then its back to more enjoyable work.

    Maybe you’re not sure yet how you work best. Give each method a shot, and figure out what works best for you. Part of finding joy in your work is being able to work with your mundane tasks in a way that suits you.

    Consider outsourcing

    When I talk with other freelancers about outsourcing, the first thing that comes to mind is often the bookkeeping task. Let’s face it: just because you’re a good writer or designer doesn’t mean you’re good with accounting. Even if you’re good at it, you probably don’t enjoy it. If that’s the case, consider hiring an accountant, or a virtual bookkeeper.

    There are probably other tasks you can outsource, as well. For example, in my Business I spend a lot of time proofreading my own work. I do all right at it, but it can really start to drive me batty, especially if I’m proofreading a longer piece. In the last couple of months, I’ve been able to outsource that particular task. In my case, I’ve outsourced this task to my wife, who is a much better proofer than I am.

    Remember why you chose the freelancing life

    A key part of finding joy in your work is remembering why you chose this line of work. For example, I love the fact that I’m able to make a difference with my writing. A lot of the writing I do is educational; whether it’s writing about writing like I do on my blog, or whether it’s writing on a client’s topic, I try to write things that benefit others. I want to improve their lives with my work.

    When I’m stuck doing some mundane task, I try to remember that it’s all part of the package. If I’m going to make a difference with my writing, sometimes I have to write about a topic that isn’t interesting to me, but is eminently interesting and useful to someone else.

    I love what I do for a living. If you don’t love what you do as a freelancer, it’s time to think about another career. I chose the freelance life because I was sick and tired of following orders from a corporate boss who only looked out for himself. I chose the freelance life so that, whether I rise or fall, I can say that it happened because of me, and not someone else. I chose the freelance life so that I could have the flexibility to be there for every school play, even if it meant I had to work until 3 AM the next night to make up for it. Reminding yourself of why you choose to freelance can put a smile on your face and put the joy into even the most mundane task.

    So, what about you? What techniques have you found that help you get through your days of drudgery?

    作为自由职业者，如果你每天的工作都不怎么开心，那就是你的方法不对。

    实际上，不管你是爬格子的，还是搞设计的，或是其它什么自由工作者，都有很多不同的方法可以让你免于每日重复工作的单调之苦。

    当然，有时候你不免要去完成一些枯燥的任务。 或许是给毫无想象力的客户设计图案。 又或许是不得不就房间打扫这个题目写上150页纸的内容。 我们都要工作，应付客户，赚钱生活。

    我发现有一种最好的办法可以打发每天枯燥乏味的工作，就是在工作中加点创造力。 这里是我在工作中找乐子的一些招数，让每天的任务多一点点乐趣。

    设计自己的工作环境

    你不是在大公司里上班。 不必要一整天都开着白炽灯听它嗡嗡作响，没完没了的坐在灰褐色的办公隔间里。 你是自由职业者，可以设计自己的工作环境。 当然，你没有那么大的空间，也没有足够的预算，但你可以做一些基本的工作让你的办公环境更温馨。 例如：

    *你可以在办公桌上装一个伸缩灯，或是放一盏样式时髦的台灯。
    *花钱买一把质量很好的办公椅。
    *在办公桌上添置一些饰品，可以是你的全家福，也可以是你喜欢的陶器。
    *给你的MP3播放器找一款小型的环绕音响，装在办公室里。

    这些事情都是在办公隔间工作的人不能做的。把你的办公环境中做一下小小的改变，可以让你在工作时间心情更加愉悦。

    摸索一套适合自己的工作计划

    有些人喜欢在同一时间做完所有的枯燥乏味的工作。 如果你属于这类人，那么可能的话，就每星期找一天来做所有最无聊的工作。

    但你要是和我一样，那一想到哪一天全部都是毫无乐趣的工作，就受不了。 我喜欢先列出无聊的工作，再把这些工作分配到一天或是一周不同的时段。 这样的话，我每次就只需要花几分钟的时间做其中一件，然后就可以回到更有趣的工作中来。

    也许你还没完全想清楚怎样做到最好。 那就每种方法试一次，找出最适合你的那种。 工作中找乐子的一项原则就是能以适合自己的方式完成单调乏味的任务。

    考虑任务外包

    每当我和其它自由职业者讨论任务外包，想到的第一件事往往是账务管理。 我们得面对这个问题。 你是一位优秀的作家或设计家并不代表你精于财务。 就算你很精通，或许也不会喜欢去做。 如果是这种情况，那就考虑请一个会计师或会计员吧。

    也许你还有其它的任务可以外包。 譬如，我在工作中要花大量的时间读校自己的稿件。 我自己还能对付，但是读校真的可以让我发疯，特别是读校较长的稿件时。 最近几个月里，我找了人帮我做这项工作。 根据我的情况，我把这个任务交给了我爱人，她作校对可比我强百倍。

    别忘了你为什么选择自由职业的生活

    在工作中发现乐趣的关键一点是别忘了你为什么选择自由职业的生活。 拿我来说吧，我喜欢自由职业，是因为我可以在写作时推陈出新。 我写的很多内容都是教育方面的；或是像我在博客里写的有关写作的文章，或是按照客户出的题目写的稿件，我都尽力写出帮助别人的东西来。 我希望能够通过我的工作改变他们的生活态度。

    每当我不得不做一些枯燥乏味的工作时，我就对自己说，这是你想要的生活必须附带的。 如果你想在写作上有所创新，有时候就必须写些自己不感兴趣的话题，但是别人会非常感兴趣，你的写作对他们会大有帮助。

    我热爱我的工作。 如果你不热爱自己的自由职业工作，那就得想想换种职业了。 我选择自由职业的生活，因为我讨厌，并且厌倦按着公司老板的命令来工作，而老板只会关心自己。 我选择自由职业的生活，所以不管成功还是失败，我会说是因为我自己才会这样，而不是他人的原因。 我选择自由职业的生活，这样可以自由安排时间，每次去参加孩子在学校的演出，即使这意味着我必须工作到第二天的夜里三点作为代价。 回想一下自己为什么选择自由职业可以将笑容挂在脸上，就算碰到最枯燥的工作也会感到快乐。

    好了，你怎么样？ 你有什么技巧来帮助自己对付单调的时光？