Ask HN: How do you manage multiple projects and tasks?
5 comments
When I started working for a small company as their sole IT department, it started out easy until they kept piling more and more tasks on me.
Some were easy, like install this new printer on everyone's computers etc, some took longer to coordinate such as getting new doors/security system and installing door access/permissions for the company etc. I had to act as a mini project manager getting a few companies to come together to do the physical install.
Over time I became overloaded as I was focusing too hard on long term tasks and not on the immediate needs. It is hard when you are working on a new server database implementation when every 10 minutes field workers also call you for help desk questions.
What I learned to do was to start using software to log everything and make my life simpler. I personally use Notion (https://www.notion.so/) but there are others I've heard of like evernote (https://evernote.com/).
I would try them out before purchasing anything to see if this helps you. Also what I found useful was blocking off an hour of time if I needed to really get into the zone and work on configurations etc.
Always document past solutions because when they arise again unless you are superhuman, having a log of all past tickets/solutions that is easily searchable has been a life saver.
Always focus on what you can actually help at the moment. There are times where you may be waiting on another person/department/vendor or company to do their portion before you can continue. It is good to hold them accountable when they are slow or late, however try not to stress on things that are out of your control and focus on what you can do which will make you feel more confident and give you a feeling like you are still making progress.
As my grandma used to say, 'Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere'
If you are, try to stop worrying about things that are not in your immediate control, focus on what you can and like anything with practice it becomes easier.
Some were easy, like install this new printer on everyone's computers etc, some took longer to coordinate such as getting new doors/security system and installing door access/permissions for the company etc. I had to act as a mini project manager getting a few companies to come together to do the physical install.
Over time I became overloaded as I was focusing too hard on long term tasks and not on the immediate needs. It is hard when you are working on a new server database implementation when every 10 minutes field workers also call you for help desk questions.
What I learned to do was to start using software to log everything and make my life simpler. I personally use Notion (https://www.notion.so/) but there are others I've heard of like evernote (https://evernote.com/).
I would try them out before purchasing anything to see if this helps you. Also what I found useful was blocking off an hour of time if I needed to really get into the zone and work on configurations etc.
Always document past solutions because when they arise again unless you are superhuman, having a log of all past tickets/solutions that is easily searchable has been a life saver.
Always focus on what you can actually help at the moment. There are times where you may be waiting on another person/department/vendor or company to do their portion before you can continue. It is good to hold them accountable when they are slow or late, however try not to stress on things that are out of your control and focus on what you can do which will make you feel more confident and give you a feeling like you are still making progress.
As my grandma used to say, 'Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere'
If you are, try to stop worrying about things that are not in your immediate control, focus on what you can and like anything with practice it becomes easier.
As far as keeping focus, I've heard a few freelancing visual effects artists claim that bouncing to the next project as soon as they're stuck or bored on one is something that works for them.
You have to build in time up front to be able to afford that luxury though, and it still requires a ton of discipline either way.
You have to build in time up front to be able to afford that luxury though, and it still requires a ton of discipline either way.
I use Things3 on my iPhone, iPad, and Macbook
Pen and paper.
How do you manage multiple projects and errands?