Project managers struggle to divide a deliverable into milestones. I hear this from junior folks all the time: How do we separate a big project into chunks of work? Especially if the type of work is unfamiliar to you, it's challenging to conceptualize a phased approach to a long-term goal. But there are methodical, repeatable approaches you can take into defining project phases. Let's talk about it.

Here’s how you can start a small consulting business.

Let's talk about one key way to put yourself in the project driver's seat: project syncs (AKA project updates, status updates, update meetings, status reports, etc. etc. etc.). Generally folks hate these. They're meandering meetings or documents with a lot of corporate speak and possibly passive aggressive jibes at folks who might be holding up the team at large. You need to do project syncs better. Here's how.

The fewer personal administrative tasks you're managing, the more brainspace you have for rest (the kind of rest where your brain relaxes) and connection and whatever else. Take the time to begin automating your recurring purchases and decisions. Here's a list of tools and techniques to start with.

How do you identify work that should be treated like a project?

Managing to do lists is often a straight-up anxiety trigger for folks. What tool should I use? How do I keep it updated? How can I manage recurring tasks? How do I track the history of what I’ve finished? And if you're trying to keep these tasks in your head, written on the back of your hand, jotted in iPhone reminders, or on scraps of paper by your desk, it's soaking up energy you could be spending on things that bring you joy—like resting.

When it comes to defining a project timeline, there’s only one rule you need to know: Requirements / Resources = Timeline