Have you ever been nervous about taking on a big task or project? Part of the fear of tackling something big is feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Time management is something we all struggle with. It takes a lot of planning and effort to execute a project well.
I’m tackling a big project this month. I am part of the Praxis Apprenticeship Program and as part of the program, I will be creating a project this month. I will be building an Etsy store from the ground up. I will also be running ad campaigns for my products and comparing metrics on each ad.
In this post, I’m walking through my project management system and how I break my project into steps.
The outline
The first step in creating a solid project management system is to write up a solid project outline. This outline should include the main objectives of the project and any other aspects needed to be covered. This step is essential in getting your creative juices flowing.
The outline is essentially a master document containing every aspect of the project. It should include each step that is part of the project, the core objectives, and each step to finish the project. The project must be broken the project down into its basic core ideas. The outline is based on those core objectives.
I wrote down all my ideas for my project and compiled them in a Google Doc. I then organized my ideas and built a weekly outline based on what I wanted to accomplish each week. I made each task with a clear objective so that it would be easy to implement in my task management system.
Task management
Once the outline was complete, I organized each of my tasks in my task management system with the due date so I knew what was coming up and what I needed to work on that day.
I use Asana for managing my task because it is very user-friendly and provides a lot of details for more detail-oriented projects. My task management system was essential in keeping me organized and keeping track of what I needed to get done each day.
Asana worked well for me because I could organize my tasks and move them around in the order I needed them to be. I could create different boards based on how I wanted to organize my tasks. I could also add due dates to the specific tasks so that I knew when something would be due.
Time management
Having a huge list of tasks just staring at you can feel a little overwhelming. The third step in managing a big project is to get everything down on a calendar. Having a calendar keeps you on the right track and prevents burnout or forgetfulness.
Especially for people like myself who have work and other appointments to balance, writing everything on a calendar is essential in not forgetting anything.
I used Google Calendar to manage all my tasks for my project around my busy work schedule and any other appointment I had. Having everything on a calendar prevented me from feeling overwhelmed and helped me to plan out each day so that I knew what I had to get done.
Main takeaways
These are my main takeaways from starting a big project and staying organized:
Create a strong outline
Implement a solid task management system
Create a calendar for time management
Don't be afraid to tackle something big! I was able to break my big project into smaller, bite-sized steps. I kept track of my tasks and managed my time by using the systems I put into place. Do this and you will have no problem accomplishing your goals!
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