We've all heard that decluttering our homes will make us happier and [nearly] stress-free. But did you know that decluttering your mind can have the same result?
To-do lists are helpful because documenting a list (in some order if possible) takes all of the thoughts in our mind and
a) makes sense of them / articulate them
b) makes them concrete
c) allows us to determine their priority
Our day-to-day to-do lists tend to be more detailed than the thoughts in our mind, and that allows us to break them down into more digestible bites.
As a guiding example, let's consider feeling stressed about a huge project at work. Maybe it's a cross-departmental program, and a document was just shared with the company showing all of the final deliverables from each party. Your name has been listed next to the majority of the items, and you may start feeling stressed about being able to hit all of your deadlines, prove your worth on the mainstage, and balance the rest of your projects. All of the moving pieces and questions and worries accumulate into one large storm cloud, and that one seemingly overpowering entity is all you can see (and feel) - stress.
But here's how you can start to feel better about the project: Get organized. Make a project plan. If you only know the date by which assets have to be completed, start there - one at a time - and work backward, naming and dating each milestone.
Example:
You know you have to deliver a multi-line ad campaign on September 14, and promotional resources on September 21, and a press release on September 28. At first glance, it seems like you have three big projects week after week. But let's break it down piece by piece, working backward as we go.
Let's start with the ad campaign. Using your tool of choice (Excel, Google sheet, Smartsheet, OneNote, physical notebook, whatever makes you most comfortable), write down the action that has to take place on that final day. I prefer to break it out by Item (group), Action, and Date.
Press release - deploy - September 28
Now, a press release should be entered into the system prior to the go-live date, so one line above that, let's add that deliverable:
Press release - program in PR system - September 25 (one business day before)
Press release - deploy - September 28
And what has to happen in order for the press release to be ready for release? It has to be written, then reviewed, then edited, then approved. Let's add those steps in first:
Press release - draft copy
Press release - review copy
Press release - edit copy
Press release - approve copy
Press release - program in PR system - September 25
Press release - deploy - September 28
Now, let's work backward to apply dates. From approving the copy to programming it in the system, you don't need much time, but let's add a buffer just in case - September 21.
How much time should the reviewer get? You'll figure this out as you grow your project management skills, but this is a tight turnaround time, and this is the second review cycle, so let's give a few business days - editing needs to be done by September 16.
Before the copy can be approved, you'll need a few business days to edit it. Let's say the previous review round needs to be completed by September 11.
And for that first review round, the original copy will need to be drafted by September 4 in order to provide enough time for the reviewer to formulate their thoughts.
Now let's put it all together:
Press release - draft copy - September 4
Press release - review copy - September 11
Press release - edit copy - September 16
Press release - approve copy - September 21
Press release - program in PR system - September 25
Press release - deploy - September 28
Suddenly, it doesn't seem so daunting, does it? We've got due dates for each step, we've got buffer time incorporated into the timeline, and we can clearly see what needs to happen in order for a press release to be launched. It is important to note that the same person may not be responsible for each of these steps - for example, the person who drafts the copy won't be the same person who reviews it. Therefore, if you're the manager creating these project plans for your team, you can use a RACI chart to break down resources and bandwidth further (but we'll go into that in another post). For now, the point is that we've organized our thoughts onto paper, converting them from abstract to concrete; we've broken a big project out into milestones, making each step seem more attainable; and we've assigned due dates for each milestone, allowing us to be held accountable and stay on track along the way.
Earlier, I mentioned this example including three projects: a multi-line ad campaign on September 14, and promotional resources on September 21, and a press release on September 28. We only walked through the third item - the press release due on September 28. As an exercise, feel free to draft up what the plans would look like for the other two projects. If you're feeling adventurous, try assigning a responsible party to each deliverable, then combining the three plans into one. As a result, you'll have an overview of what it takes to complete these three projects as well as a detailed view into each employee's workload and due dates. Post your responses in the comments below or email them to laura@yourstoryhaven.com to seek additional guidance.
Organizing your work into smaller steps will help you feel less stressed and more confident in your ability to complete each task along the way. Before you know it, the overarching project will be completed effectively, and you will be hailed as the project management guru that led your team to success!
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Further application
These project management skills can help you even in your personal writing as you are figuring out how to structure your story or tackle a writing project. Want to write a book? Create a project plan with each chapter being a weekly or monthly milestone. Want to organize a blog post? Instead of using the above format as a to-do list, consider breaking out your blog post by paragraph, then identifying each paragraph's topic and focus/value. Suddenly, you've moved from projects and due dates to topics and value propositions - you're using the same idea of organizing your thoughts for success but applying it in a different way, and your readers will thank you for it. You'll also thank yourself for taking the time to manage your workload as such, as it tends to save time and stress along the way.
