How to Manage Multiple Projects

How to Manage Multiple Projects
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Jennifer Walker

Growing up, Jennifer consider almost every surface a creative canvas. Anything from the Doonesbury comic books she was given at age 4 to a spare telephone that found itself painted when she was 12. A music stand was an ersatz easel and after highschool she moved onto edible canvases of cakes and cookies. After starting her own webcomic in 2007, Jennifer spends a lot of her time in front of the computer in 'the Abyss' (craft room/studio/office) trying to balance life and fun and creativity. She recently launched a second comic, "Where the Geeks Are," for SoulGeek Webcomics and has published her first book, Party in the Handbasket, Random Acts... Year 1.
Website

http://www.randomactscomics.com
By Jennifer Walker, eHow Contributor
How to Manage Multiple Projectsthumbnail Woman multi-tasking

Time management is crucial when you have more than one task on your to-do list--and without it--the amount of work you've signed yourself up for may feel overwhelming. The following are ways to keep your sanity--while getting everything done in a timely manner.

Difficulty:
Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1.
* 1

Prioritize your projects. Order of importance can be determined by deadlines, the insistence of others (also known as the squeaky wheel syndrome) or the amount of work it will take to complete. Bigger projects, even those with far-out deadlines, that are going to take more time should be started earlier to ensure everything gets done--especially when downtime is needed for drying or curing.
* 2

Combine similar tasks when possible. Anything that you can combine--cutting fabrics for different projects, converting photos or images in the same program, framing to maximize efficiency--will help you and save you the trouble of having to pull out certain tools again and again.
* 3

Clean as you go. Sure, when you're in the throes of a complex project it's easy to just to put down one tool and pick up another or set your scraps and waste to the side. But when you finish and look up from your desk you've got a mountain of things that have to be put away that will take you twice as long to sort and organize than if you'd taken care of each castoff in its own turn.
* 4

Take frequent breaks, but never if you're on a roll. Looking up from a project now and then has the benefit of clearing your head and taking notice of the area around you. Frequently, we can get so focused on one little section that we forget how it fits in with the whole; taking a break gives some much-needed perspective. But if you're really in the groove, don't force a break and interrupt your thought process; just wait for the next logical pause point and take a stretch break.
* 5

Switch between projects if one becomes frustrating. Just like taking a break, switching to a project that uses a different skill set can get your mind off things long enough for your subconscious to puzzle things out. A flash of inspiration often comes when you're not thinking about a problem--at least it does for me.
* 6

Make lists or charts, breaking up larger projects into workable segments. The overall goal is to complete each project by the deadline, but setting intermediate goals that can be checked off as you progress will give you that feel-good sense of accomplishment. Also, by dividing each project into smaller components you make a gargantuan task seem smaller.
* 7

Structure your time wisely. If you want to get a lot done, you have to be realistic about how much time you have. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day. Get out your organizer of choice and really look at how you spend your time--then make some changes in order to complete your projects.
* 8

Outsource anything that can easily be done by someone else. Make-or-buy decisions are a mainstay in many fields and can take the pressure off your shoulders when your schedule is overfull. Sure, you can do everything yourself, but if you can outsource certain items without sacrificing quality--you will have more time to invest in the things that cannot be done by anyone else.

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Tips & Warnings

*

Messy workspaces make for messy deadlines. Always tidy up when you finish for a day, so you can start fresh the next.

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