How to Handle Big Projects
The Following Post was Inspired by Episode 29 of the Productivity in Tech Podcast.
I’ve been working on a big project at my day job for the past few weeks. This has been a big job for me and has been way more work than usual. In any job, you will be asked to do more than you are used to. It is not impractical for your boss to have to put a little more work on you every once in a while. Actually, as long as you handle it well, it can be a great time to show your knowledge and skills.
I have 3 key points I try to think about when I have an unusually large projects.
Plan It ALL Out
I released a post about how I handled my rough transition from the military to civilian IT. In it, I mentioned that listed everything I was expected to do. I worked on each item, starting at the most important and working my way down to the least.
Whether you are the project manager or one of the team members, you will have responsibilities. It’s important to remember every little detail.
For big projects, I use a notepad document and then import my checklist into Todoist. It is so much easier to check items off a list that to try and remember each step. Be sure to include every little detail. There’s nothing worse than getting to a point and not knowing where to go or what to do next.
Avoid Distractions and Get in the Zone
Do you know what your flow state is? It’s when you are in the zone. You are doing your best work and well on your way to finishing your task. When you reach that point the rest of the world begins the fade away. It’s just you and the work engaged in battle. Being able to focus and reach this reach your flow is important when it comes to handling large amounts of work. Unfortunately, distractions are the enemy of flow and will leave you struggling to focus.
You have to do your best to prevent distractions from ever reaching you. Tell your boss you need a little bit of peace while you are working on the project. Change your voicemail and out of office and let people know you won’t be available until the task is completed. For my last project I even reserved a conference room and worked there for two weeks. There are even apps like Focus or UnDistracted that can help you obtain the flow that you need.
Slow and Steady
I have to warn you that number three may seem like it will contradict what we are working toward. When you have a lot of work to do, it can be tempting to rush to the end of the project. Please fight the urge! Don’t let deadlines and pressure from others encourage you to try and get ahead of yourself. Give yourself plenty of time to complete tasks, and say something if you feel like you are rushed.
I say this because mistakes are made when we rush things. Then, in the frenzy to correct these mistakes and get back on track, usually more mistakes are made.
Remember that slow and steady wins the race. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you choose to stick with your plan and take it one step at a time, you will find yourself finishing faster than you think.
So that it’s it! I’d love to hear about some of the crazy projects that you’ve worked on.
