Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to finish a project, but it just wouldn’t seem to get going? You do the normal day-to-day stuff, you meet the normal demands of the job, and at the end of the week you look back and realize that your key projects are still exactly where you left them.
This is something that impacts everybody. It’s rarely a matter of not having enough time or not putting in sufficient effort. Sometimes it’s just one little task that’s preventing you from moving on to the next stage. Until you complete that task, the whole thing can effectively freeze.
Find the Task That’s Holding You Back
When a project is stalled, it’s tempting to look at everything that hasn’t been done, which makes it look like a much bigger job than it really is.
Why isn’t this project getting under way?
You may well be in a position where you need to gather some information or complete a task before you can go any further; the task in itself may be trivial, but not completing it could in fact prevent you from making any progress on the overall objective.
Once you’ve identified the problem, you can pick an action. You could carry out the task, ask someone for help or look for another way of achieving the same outcome.
To move forward, stop thinking of it as one big problem and identify the next step that will actually get you somewhere.
Make the Next Step Easy to Start
The issue isn’t necessarily the task at all, it can be the way in which the task has been defined.
A task like ‘work on the new website’ gives you absolutely no indication of where to start, as it’s far too generic to be of any use in terms of telling you what your next step should be.
Break it down into a very specific and clear action. You could start by looking at the home page, making a list of the required changes, or writing the text for one section.
It’s far easier to get going when you know exactly what to do, because you’re not spending time mulling over where to start; you’re straight into the useful work.
If it’s still a bit of a problem, then break it down again. Next, pick one that you’re completely comfortable with and can just get on and do without having to think too hard.
Give Your Projects Time on Your Calendar
Your day can get completely consumed by the day-to-day stuff (emails, meetings, urgent requests, etc.), and the longer-term stuff has to wait until you’ve got a bit of quiet time.
The calm moment never occurs by itself.
One way to do it is to block out time for the project before the week fills up. For instance, you could block an hour every morning or set aside two afternoons each week.
Choose a schedule that works with the type of work you have to do. Writing, planning, and the like generally benefit from a consistent amount of time, whereas other types of work can be managed effectively with just one or two sessions per week.
Treat these blocks as real commitments. If you don’t set time aside for your projects, then the normal day-to-day business of life will just keep pushing them aside.
Review Your Progress and Adjust
Your working method should enable you to see what’s moving and what’s not. The key is to review regularly so you can spot problems early, before they become major issues.
Look at your active projects and ask three questions:
- How far have I got?
- What’s preventing the next step?
- What can I do this week to make some progress?
You don’t have to tackle all the problems at once, so pick one project that’s coming to a standstill and just do one useful thing with it. If the first method you try doesn’t work, then try a different one.
It’s not about having a perfect system and sticking to it. It’s about knowing what’s not working and changing it.
Small Steps Keep Big Projects Alive
A project that has come to a standstill needn’t necessarily require a major change to your plans. It might be as simple as making one decision, making one phone call, or just spending thirty minutes on it.
The way to go about it is to accept that you’re stuck, then do something about it rather than letting the project fade into the background.
This week, take a few minutes to go through the projects you haven’t finished. For each one, work out what the task is that’s preventing it from moving on, and then decide what you’re going to do next.
You might be surprised at how much ground you can actually cover by clearing a few small hurdles. The aim isn’t to get everything finished today. It’s simply to get your key projects moving.
More ideas….
Why 74% of Workers Don’t Finish Their Daily Tasks
Time-Saving Tips That Productive People Don’t Usually Share
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