It can be challenging to start a project. You might end up procrastinating for quite a while. However, it’s important to get started on it immediately so that you don’t overwhelm yourself.
START PROJECTS LONG BEFORE THE DEADLINE
It can be tempting to procrastinate, and then, right before your project is due, try to finish it as fast as humanly possible. Unfortunately, this can result in a huge amount of stress and a poor quality project. Instead, the best strategy is to start your project sooner than you need to so that you can have time to collaborate with your team and plan for edits.
This will help you produce a higher quality product and will significantly reduce the amount of work-related stress you will experience while you’re completing this particular project. Who likes having to cram when there are only a few hours or a few days left to turn something in? No one and you don’t have to do that to yourself if you start and finish your work early.
As soon as you receive a project, get started on it. This will help you finish it as quickly as possible. It will also provide you with enough time to ask others on your team if they have any suggestions and improve them accordingly.
COLLABORATE
When you’ve finished your project, it’s important to ask for a second opinion. There might be parts of it that can be improved that you haven’t noticed because you’ve become rather attached to your project and have been working so hard on it. Ask your teammates if they have any feedback and, if they do, implement their suggestions immediately. It’s important to collaborate and make sure that everyone is on the same page about this project. Not only will this help everyone involved and make it easier for people to work with you, but it will also ensure that your work is the best that it can be before you turn it in.
Ask your team members if they have any ideas to make it better. If you are confused about any aspect of the project whatsoever, talk to your manager and or your coworkers so that they can clarify things for you. It’s better to ask questions before you start the project than to have to revise it significantly after you’re finished with it.
TIME YOUR BREAKS
When you work long hours, it can be easy to spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom or having lunch. The problem is that this time can add up and that your team, not to mention management, will probably notice. You can avoid these issues by simply timing your breaks and making sure you don’t extend them unreasonably. Everyone will truly appreciate this and take note of your strong work ethic and fairness. Your teammates will be thrilled, and so will your manager.
Whether it’s a lunch break or a bathroom break, make sure that you don’t take longer than you need to; if you have a thirty-minute lunch break, time yourself. This will help you maintain accountability for your work and avoid taking super long breaks when you could be getting your work done.
SET A GOAL FOR EACH DAY
You might have a deadline to complete your project and a checklist about your project from start to finish. However, it can be easy to underestimate how much time will be needed to be invested daily so that you can finish your work on time. To remedy this, calculate how many days you will need to complete the project, giving yourself an extra day to review it and improve it before it is due.
Then, calculate how much of the project you will have to complete each day to meet these goals. Divide the number of goals by the amount of the project you’d like to complete each day, and then you will have set yourself up for success. You can allot a certain amount of work for yourself each day and will be able to complete it to meet the deadline strategically.
This will save you from having to cram a bunch of work in right before the deadline and submit subpar work as a result. It’s essential to do this so that your teammates and management will recognize how high quality your work is and will treat you accordingly. You’ll be a valuable asset to the company, you’ll be able to collaborate quite a bit more on the project, and you’ll avoid the stress of having to complete a huge amount of work in a concise period of time.
Instead of cramming to complete the project right before it’s due, set a goal for each day. How much of the project would you like to complete? Do you want to revise small sections at a time before revising the entire project?
If so, you will have to plan accordingly so that you have some extra time to incorporate feedback into your work. It’s important to do a little work each day instead of a lot all at once. This will help you be more relaxed and will likely result in a higher quality product. It will give you more time to seek feedback from your team and make sure you’re turning in a project that everyone will be satisfied with.
PLAN FOR TIME TO REVISE YOUR PROJECT
No matter how good your project is and how hard you’ve worked on it, there will always be room for improvement. Make sure that you give yourself time to revise it. First, look over it yourself, catch any mistakes, and fix them.
Then, see if you’ve left out any important information. If you have, incorporate that into your project as quickly as possible. After you’ve looked it over a few times, ask your colleagues if they have any suggestions to make it better. If they do, incorporate their feedback immediately.
This is also a good opportunity to ask any last-minute questions if they come up. If confusion arises, talk to your project manager and your teammates to clarify these issues before turning your project in. It’s best to ask questions before turning in a project instead of asking them after the fact or not asking them at all. Your teammates and your supervisor will really appreciate it. Your manager will likely be more satisfied with your project if you implement these strategies.
Depending on your project’s brevity, you will want to plan a day, or at least a few hours, for revising your project. This will give you time to make sure there’s no missing information, accept feedback, and make sure that your project is the absolute best it can be. Your team, not to mention management, will really appreciate your efforts in this area.
It can be tough to get started on a project. You might have fears that it won’t be perfect, especially if you set extremely high standards for yourself. You might be putting so much pressure on yourself that you can’t even start it.
The world is full of resources. You can enroll in a project management guide through the University of Dayton. This course, led by industry expert Bob Jewell, will improve your skills in project planning, project execution, project control, and much more.
Enroll in the University of Dayton Project Management: Practical Skills and Applications program, created in collaboration with GetSmarter, today! The certificate of completion that you receive from this eight-week course will serve as proof of your acquired knowledge. It will also provide you with a great deal of confidence in project management. You can discover more opportunities such as this one by visiting GetSmarter online or contacting us at https://www.getsmarter.com/contact.