In the most recent episode of Today’s Business Leaders learn how to separate a task from a project and take care of business. Lisa of Impactive Strategies and Gabe of Business Marketing Engine get to the bottom of what makes some projects just seem so imposing and impossible.
Understanding a Task and a Project
Tasks are small items that are a single step and take 15 minutes or less to accomplish. Your to-do list should be comprised of tasks. A project is a bigger endeavor that is made up of multiple tasks. Projects do not belong on a to-do list, but rather they should be tracked and managed on their own.
Break It Down
For particularly overwhelming projects break things down into the most basic tasks. A huge project that seems daunting, when broken down into simple tasks is easy and much more manageable. Once the smaller steps of a project are identified completing the entire job is easier.
Keep a Project List
Unfinished projects cause stress and anxiety which will reduce productivity. Writing out all of the steps, or tasks, in a project can help bring everything into a manageable focus. Writing out a project list serves to keep items front of mind. A project list ensures you aware of what you need to do.
Strategies for Maintaining Momentum
Urgent issues are bound to come up and will push out the important items you want to work on. Creating a schedule and utilizing external accountability can help keep your projects moving forward.
Schedule Your Time
If you feel tight on time create a schedule. Blocking out time to work on specific projects ensures you actually work on those projects. Taking the time to break a project into 15-minute tasks will give you a realistic time frame when filling in your calendar.
External Accountability
Letting things slide, like not accomplishing a few tasks by a due date is easy when you only have to answer to yourself. Holding yourself accountable to someone else may be all the motivation you need to buckle down and do what you need to do. Set up a meeting with a coworker or client to discuss a project and establish what tasks will be accomplished by that time. Simply having a plan and a solid due date that you cannot talk yourself out of can be enough to motivate you to accomplish tasks.
Tune in to the next episode to learn about biological prime time. Check out BME’s blog for all of the episodes of Today’s Business Leaders and more useful tips around productivity. Learn about the solutions BME provides and even the free courses to find useful resources that may good fit for you.
