So you've decided what's important to you, you know what you want and you've cut back on all that isn't important.
Now you’ve got the opportunity to get that thing done. Whatever that thing is! Get that book written, create that website, start your podcast, whatever it is that takes longer than an afternoon.
The hugeness of a task is often what trips people up. I myself have been overwhelmed many times by THIS BIG THING I’M GOING TO DO until I stop, take a moment and break it down into smaller parts. Smaller projects.
So how do we go about that? Let’s jump into Project Planning 101.
Six Steps
First, start with the end in mind. What is the outcome we are going for? And what is your deadline for FULL completion? This deadline is often flexible, especially if you have set it yourself. But deadlines help us make the unreal tangible and assists with follow-through.
Example:
Establish a Podcast channel. Excellent. Produce one podcast a month and first one will launch at the end of this month.
Next, brainstorm. Of course, you won’t capture everything that will need to be done over the course of the project at this time since you don’t know what you don’t know. But you will empty your head significantly at this point and the very act of capturing one task will inevitably lead to something else popping up. Grab a pen and paper, or hit the keyboard, just let everything out that you can think of relating to getting this project done.
Example:
Promote, establish social media channels, write scripts, research how to make and produce a podcast, think of a name, think of topics, edit, research, write scripts, publish, ask Betty and David to be interviewees.
Great! Now the third step, arrange those items in a chronological project timeline order. And break them down further.
Example:
Research how to make and produce a podcast
Think of a name
Claim social media channels
Think of topics
Research episodes
Write scripts
Ask interviewees to participate, book in times
Record episodes
Edit episode
Promote channel
Publish episode
The fourth step is to estimate how long each segment will take and assign to others (if you have other people involved).
Example:
The podcast will be published monthly. The end of the month is your deadline. Step back through the process. You estimate that it takes a week of research and writing, a week for recording, a week for editing and that leaves a week for promoting before publishing at the end of the month.
The fifth step is to now work those items into your calendar. What this does is make these tethered to date specifics. These dates are a great incentive to keep going. This also helps with blocking time out in the calendar to do the work.
The final step in project planning is to schedule another thing into your calendar. Review time. Reviewing and Tracking how your project is or isn’t coming along affects the rest of the deadlines. And this isn’t about falling behind or failing. It’s about adjusting for those times when life happens, or when you’ve found a better way to do something, or a course has come your way that changes everything so you need to make time for that but in the long run you’re better off.
Summary
So in summary:
1. What’s a project that you have in mind? Determine the outcome.
2. Brainstorm everything related to getting that project done.
3. Organise those tasks into chronological order.
4. Estimate how long each segment will take and assign parts to others (if others are involved).
5. Get the specific steps anchored to a date in your calendar.
6. Review every month as to how things are progressing and tweak where needed.
So there you have it. Apply these six steps to any project and you will find your feet. The project won’t appear as daunting as previously imagined and you’ll eventually make inroads on it.
If you want to get my help personally, get in touch. My Action Plan offer is perfect for this.
It’s a one-hour session that will address one of your overwhelming, can’t-see-through-it, Time Management problems. At the end, you will walk away with a super-simple-step-by-step strategy to get it sorted!
One-on-one Session and Action Plan: $180.00 limited time only
What’s included?-1 x 1-hour video call
-We will get into the nitty-gritty of your specific problem
-Take it from overwhelming to doable and exciting
-Notes/Suggestions from your session emailed to you for reference
-A 15-minute check-in to touch base and offer support as you implement
You’re going to love this session because we are going to nail one thing that will set in motion confidence to change other areas of your life causing overwhelm.
Still not sure whether an Action Plan is right for you?
Call me and let’s discuss further.
Talk soon,
Christie
