How Do You Work Projects?

First, I’d like to point to another guest post of mine, this time on Rose’s Blogger Talk blog, the topic of which is Why Have A Business Blog. Thanks for the opportunity, Rose.

I’m presently working on a big health care project. It’s a short term project, but there’s a lot of technical numerical information that I have to get through to get it completed. I actually love working on things with this kind of detail, and I’m glad to have another big project after such a long time.

There’s always the question of how people work projects. I’ve changed up from how I’ve done things in the past this time around. Usually I plow my way through things, not giving any time to anything else, until it’s done. This time around, I’m spacing things out somewhat, giving my mind some mental breaks here and there. I’m doing that because not only do I want to make sure I don’t make any mistakes, but I know there are a couple of areas that are going to take me longer to get through than other parts.

This isn’t a project of my own doing, however. In May, I’m going to be doing a presentation on customer service, one day a regular seminar, the next day a webinar on the same thing. I’ll be advertising it once we’ve solidified where we’re having it. Anyway, I had to put together an outline for what I wanted to talk about, which was going to help with advertising.

This was one of those times where, once I started, I had to get through the entire thing, and, me being me, it took just about an hour to actually write the entire outline, which was 80 lines or so. Outlines are my way of doing most things when I get a chance. When I’ve created my websites, I’ve always written an outline first, as well as sketched the design. When I wrote my books and ebooks, I went with an outline. Every live presentation I do starts with an outline.

Thing is, I know people do all sorts of things. For instance, I know a writer of fiction who, before he starts writing, always writes biographies for as many people as he figures he knows are going to be in his story. If he ends up introducing new characters, he’ll stop writing the story and write a biography on the new character.

I also know a lot of people who don’t plan anything. They just start projects and believe that things will come together. Of course, those are the people who most often end up having to start all over, but if that’s their way, so be it.

How do you work on projects? I’d really like to know if there are other ways people get things done.

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16 thoughts on “How Do You Work Projects?”

  1. I have lots of projects on the go, but sadly my health has had me neglecting many of them. Thanks for guest posting Mitch.
    .-= Rose´s last blog ..How to Exclude Your IP from your Google Analytics reports =-.

    1. No problem, Rose. Yeah, health will get in the way of many things, so you just take care of yourself and get better.

    1. Thanks Connie. I actually forgot that I do that when I need to as well. Usually if I go a bunch of days and feel like I haven’t produced something, then I’ll plan my day through my Palm software, since it has an audible and visible alarm on the computer.

  2. ’ve changed up from how I’ve done things in the past this time around. Usually I plow my way through things, not giving any time to anything else, until it’s done. This time around, I’m spacing things out somewhat, giving my mind some mental breaks here and there.

    1. I’m finding that taking mental breaks is something I have to do more these days also, which is somewhat disappointing since I never used to need breaks at all.

  3. Yes, you are very wise to tackle projects, especially important projects piecemeal.

    That way your subconscious can have time to bubble up great insights that just aren’t possible for any of us if we rush through and attempt to quickly dispatch a project.

    You are very wise, Mitch.

    Warm regards,

    Dr. Ann

    1. First, I thank you for this comment, Ann. As long as progress is being made on a project, things are always good.

      Second, regarding your posts with your “toysperiod” site. This particular comment made it through, and you have your website where it’s supposed to be. The other comments are spammy, and thus they will show up in Askimet’s spam filter, and they should because they have nothing to do with the post itself. That’s somewhat disingenuous to the blogger, and doesn’t put you in a good light I must say.

      Not only that, but I’ve noticed that, every once in awhile, a response to you comes back with your email address being invalid. If that happens, as it has in the past, then I go back and delete your comments. I’ll leave this one, even if the email bounces back, and we’ll see how future messages work.

  4. Starting this year, I am really trying to do the one thing at a time approach…get it done, move on to #2.

    9 x outa 10, multitasking just don’t work for me.
    .-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Would You Like a FREE Banner Ad Position? =-.

    1. Yeah Dennis, multi-tasking in general really doesn’t work as well anymore, although I find that, depending on what it is, I don’t mind working on one thing then pausing to go work on something else.

      1. Quite true. For me though, the 2nd thing has to be somewhat mindless…like organizing the HD or something. lol
        .-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Would You Like a FREE Banner Ad Position? =-.

      2. Now that’s funny! Actually, that’s not such a bad idea; builds on the first one because you’ve accomplished something else.

  5. I havent looked at the comments due to lack of time

    1st step – mind mapping tool to identify the components of your project

    2nd step – Planning tool Gantt Chart which then groups your tasks into some sort of order from start to finish

    3rd step – Out of the Gantt Chart you create daily or weekly written to do lists, you then colour code the lines in the Gantt Chart to say RED not started, YELLOW in hand, GREEN completed

    When things go wrong, or slip back you can then re evaluate your Gantt Chart and always have a view as to where you are at.
    .-= Peter Davies´s last blog ..How Often Do You Mail Your Lists? =-.

    1. Of course Peter, now you’ve going to have to tell most of us what a Gantt Chart is. I looked it up, and man, that sucker looks confusing as sin! lol

  6. Right, a gantt chart is basically a list of tasks with on the right hand side a calendar. Opposite each task is a line that sits under the dates which represents the lenght of the task, so will line up with the projected end date. If a task in a project slips you extend the line – make sense?

    If you want to know more I will do a screen shot and put it on my blog
    .-= Peter Davies´s last blog ..How Often Do You Mail Your Lists? =-.

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