When overwhelmed, here’s how I plan projects easily

I try to look at projects from every angle to tackle them as effectively as possible. Whether moving to a new country with my family or tackling a client promotion, I start from the end and work my way to the present. From there, I craft a scheduled to-do list all at once.

Most of my organizing strategies come from intuition and my need to figure out my own way of doing things. When the sea of overwhelm washes over me, I work to find clarity and freedom. I like to share strategies, not knowing if they will work for others. I am all too familiar with the uncomfortable-ness of feeling upside down and inside out.

Here’s a peak into my process…

#1 – Projecting to the day AFTER the project deadline, I create a rough list of everything I’d like to have done after-the-fact to the present. ie. I want to make certain I have thank you cards out. When an event finally comes and goes, I’m way too tired to write out cards. I like to plan way ahead, figure out what I want the cards to say, who to send them to, etc. 

#2 – I then look at my new list as a list of mini-projects and try to exhaust ideas of all the mini-projects that can make the main project successful.

#3 – After the master list of random mini-projects and tasks is listed out, I break down every item into smaller tasks (the “to-do’s” to achieve the end result of a thorough list).

#4 – I add a date to the tasks as to when they need to be done chronologically. If I’m really overwhelmed, I add how long I think each task will take in order to help myself schedule more effectively.

#5 – I create a clean draft of my list in chronological order of all that I have planned and bask in its glow.

As a self-professed organizing nerd, I created productivity courses for freelance voice actors called “Master VO To-Do List”. This is a course that is not currently running, but I hope to be able to offer it again in the future.