Updated: June, 2019
Let's be honest once again! You decided to work by your own, create your blog or start your online business but, today you're feeling stuck. You read every day on the social media of those who have managed to be successful doing their own business, but for you is becoming impossible.
Uff, you are not alone in this! Working from home and starting my own business has been a complicated task. Since I start my day I must solve all the situations that come with the beautiful "idea" of "work-at-home mom", breakfasts, pick up the house and deal with the situations that arise between sisters. Also, organize the rest of the day and activities for my girls.
It may happen that when you return to your desk you have no idea what you have pending, much less what you were working on the previous week. For many people to get organized, managing their time and focusing can be complicated. There are so many distractions around us and many things that occupy our minds that to stay focus on getting things done can be overwhelming.
I have been working for more than ten years as a project manager, and I have realized how difficult it can be for many people to create a system that helps them how to stay focus.
Here I share with you 3 steps that I use to organize my projects and that will help you to get things done. Are you ready? I'll share with you a method used by many technology companies for the organization and project management. It sounds complicated, but it is not. The most important thing about this method is that it only works if you practice it.
Success depends on you.
Before you start with the 3 steps, take your time to create a a list of all things that needs to be done within the goal, project or initiative. This list will be called "Wish List" which is nothing more than everything you want to complete or include without limitations.
Once you have created the list, set how often you want to measure your results. You can do it every 1 or 2 weeks. I don’t recommend it to be more than that.
Let's do this!
1.First, Choose the tasks that you must complete, in the time you established, from the "wish list" that you created before. You may be able to call this the “To do” List. Set up priorities and assign the days there supposed to be completed by. Be real about it. This list cannot have more tasks than you can complete. Take it into consideration all the obstacles that can delay them and, in this way, you will not put more burden on them than you can complete.
Let's not cheat ourselves. The most difficult tasks, Yes! The more that scares you, that's the first one you'll complete : D
2. Second, create the list: "In progress". From the “To Do” list, choose only the tasks you will be working on now, that is, today. Your focus should be on completing the tasks that appear on this list.If today, you only have time to complete one task then just add that task and make it happen.
Hack: Each task should not involve more hours or time than you have available for this day. If a task takes more time it is likely that you can break it down into more than one task.
3. Third and Finally, create the list that allows you to reward yourself: "Done". There you will be moving those tasks from the list "In Progress" and that have been completed. This will be the most important list. Why? Because this is the list that shows you how close you are to your goal. Here you can see everything you’ve achieved, and how capable you are to make things happen.
Every morning when you go to your computer this will be the first application you must access. Once you start working under this method, the important thing is to adapt it to your lifestyle. The more you use it, the more you understand it and more benefits you obtain.
Here is an image of what your "workflow" should look like to have an idea and encourage you to implement it.
From now on, when someone asks you a question on how you manage your time, tasks, focus and productivity, just tell them that you use an Agile Methodology.
Don't quit! take a day off and come back ready to make it work.