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DreaminLace

STYLE + BEAUTY + AMBITION OF THE MODERN WOMAN

Life, My Life, Tips + Inspo

How to Manage Multiple Projects Like a Pro

April 30, 2019

Talking through how to manage multiple projects like a pro – without losing your mind.

How to Manage Multiple Projects Like a Pro #WorkTips #TimeManagement

Why hello, there! As I come out of an incredible busy month – I thought I’d have a nice little sit down to chat with you all about managing multiple projects at the same time.

When thinking through my professional life, I see that things definitely can get hectic every now and then. It’s not always easy balancing multiple projects at once but through a lot of practice I’ve picked up a trick or two along the way that make it a lot easy to keep my head on straight.

(For the most part anyway.)

One thing is for sure! No matter what profession you find yourself in – a common denominator is that we’re all shouldering multiple projects at the same time. That’s the nature of the beast in the fast-paced world we live in and this means time management is essential to staying afloat when managing multiple priorities and deadlines. 

How to Manage Multiple Projects

Truth is, being a plate spinner is quite the challenge…and mastering it I find is not just a skill – but an art as well. When thinking over my career, I see an evolution.
 
Experience really is the greatest teacher of all… but sometimes we don’t have the time to wait around for those tough lessons to teach us a better way. So today, I’m opening my bag of tricks to share a mixture of pointers with you on how to manage multiple projects, deadlines and events simultaneously.
 
Many pointers I’ve learned on my own, others are words of wisdom passed down by professional mentors. And I sincerely hope you walk away with some idea on how to help manage a stressful time in your work life.
 
How to Manage Multiple Projects Like a Pro
 

HOW TO MANAGE MULTIPLE PROJECTS – LIKE A PRO

1. Segment and Compartmentalize Your Time

Remember in high school when you would travel from period to period? Block scheduling was so common to us then but somehow got left in the past along the way.
 
When juggling different projects, communicating with different teams, coordinating with different vendors and so on – I came to learn really quickly that I cannot live in a reactionary state. Think about it. If you’re constantly responding to what came up at this one moment or hour, you’ll find yourself spinning and burning a hole in the ground without actually moving forward.
 
As such, a great start to better manage multiple projects simultaneously is to break up your day.
 
Assign certain tasks and projects to a designated time period and don’t let yourself be distracted by interruptions that pull your attention elsewhere. When it’s crunch time and I REALLY need to finish something, I’ll even put my phone on airplane more and turn off my wifi to prevent unneeded distractions springing up. 
 

2. Project Plan Everything

It always amazes me how many professionals exist without a plan in writing for each project. How can you expect to successfully manage multiple projects without a plan in place?
 
Make project plans your religion. Even if it’s a brief document solely for the audience of one – you – it is ALWAYS worth the time to sit down and map out what exactly you want to achieve, steps towards that goal and an estimated timeline from start to finish. 
 
A project plan will keep you on track – not to mention keep your head on straight when things get hectic. (Which is bound to happen.)  You can always refer back to your project plan as home base to ground yourself and move forward. 
 
When juggling multiple projects, I lay everything out in one spreadsheet so I can visually see where things line up as follows:
 
How to Manage Multiple Projects Like a Pro #WorkTips #TimeManagement
 

3. Be Present and Declutter Your Headspace

Time is the most limited resource.

As such, don’t waste time working on one project or attending one meeting while mentally running through things for another project. You will drive yourself bonkers and cut down on your productivity in one sweep.

Mindfulness is such a buzzword for healthy living in general, but it’s also very valuable in your workspace. A great way to manage multiple projects at the same time is to stay present. Avoid thinking about Project X while working on Project Y. Obviously we’re all human and bound to get sidetracked now and then…but when you do, redirect your attention to the project at hand. 

Time is precious. Don’t waste what time you have to devote on one project by stressing over another. 
 

4. Under Promise and Over Deliver

I was told this early on out of college and I thought it was bullocks – but that just goes to show how truly naive and foolish I was. I wanted to promise the world and deliver it too. The problem? When you set that high expectation, falling short in the slightest will both look and feel like a failure.
 
Always, always, always under promise and over deliver.
 
Pad in timing for hiccups along the way and then get the project done ahead of schedule. The same concept applies to not delivering a half-assed product. Taking an extra day to do something well will always leave you in a better position than delivering a mediocre project and saying you ran out of time as an excuse.
 
Your best work is worth waiting for. 

5. Have Allies, Everywhere

In every job I’ve had and all the work I do, I make a point of befriending anyone and everyone no matter what their job is. Not only is it generally kind — it also builds a support system for when I need extra help. Invest time in people and care about them, genuinely. As they say, “it takes a village”. And you’re going to want to know an A-Team player on every single level if you want to make it all work beautifully. 
 
Remember when In the Devil Wears Prada, Miranda had Andy running like a mad woman around town with the impossible task of tracking down the next book in the Harry Potter series? In the end, Andy was able to deliver because she’d made a friend in Christian Thompson who happened to know the artist doing the cover work.
 
Yes, Christian Thompson turned out to be a dirt bag and yes this is an extreme example but it speaks to the power of allies. Sometimes, you can call in a favor – other times they can call in a favor for you. It’s a give and take system but the point is…
 
Having a support system will get you out of a bind when you need it most. 

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XOXO
Kelly

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Comments

  1. Emily says

    May 5, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    I agree that under promise and over delivering is a great way to work. When I’m at work I have a work in progress spreadsheet, similar to the one you’ve showed above, to keep me on track and I colour code it as well as I work well with colour.

    Emily | Snippets of Emily’s Life xx

    • DreamInLace says

      May 6, 2019 at 10:38 pm

      Ooo! I think I could definitely step up my color-coding. I use different colors for things on my calendar but could always do more on my spreadsheets! xo

  2. Danielle Alexa says

    May 4, 2019 at 7:08 am

    I think scheduling and planning is essential!

    Danielle xx
    https://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

    • DreamInLace says

      May 6, 2019 at 10:38 pm

      Absolutely! What would we do without our plans? I shiver to think… xo

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