How to Easily Break Up a Big Project into Manageable Pieces
How to Easily Break Up A Big Project into Manageable Pieces
Here's a simple guide to breaking down a large project into smaller, more manageable tasks.
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Life as a solopreneur is a never-ending cycle of massive project after massive project. Blog posts, podcasts, YouTube, and product launches are examples of different projects you undertake daily or weekly. Of course, some of these tasks are bigger than others, but what do they all have in common? You need to complete them efficiently. You have to have a systemic approach to tackle and finish them.
Taking on big projects is an integral part of the hustle. I’m constantly balancing three or four projects at a time. I keep a notebook of all the ideas that come into my mind for my next blog post, product, or launch, but I just can’t quite fit on my plate right now.
This notebook is full of crazy ideas I want to write about or inventions I wish to create. Some of them are even courses or coaching offers that I think could be useful to my clients. But I can’t balance them all at once.
I need to take each of these projects on one at a time, break them down into manageable tasks, and start checking them off. I won’t get overwhelmed this way, and you can still count on the high-quality content I’m pumping out.
Today I’m going to share with you my method of breaking down big projects into manageable pieces. One example you can take advantage of right now is my FREE business checklist. This is a step-by-step plan to create and launch your business in simple small stages. Set and achieve your goals on your path to entrepreneurial success. Download it here.
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How do you “Eat the Elephant”?
“Eating the elephant” is an analogy for taking on a big project. Swallowing an entire elephant in one bite is impossible, regardless of your dedication or enthusiasm. So instead, you need to eat it one bite at a time.
It’s too big, and there are too many moving parts. Besides, I’m pretty sure it would probably fight back!
To successfully “eat the elephant,” you need to approach the job as a process and attack it at a marathon-like pace. That means you go about it slowly and with intention. This is a long-haul race, not a sprint. You can’t rush your way through it. That’s why it’s such a great analogy for building a business or taking on a big project.
If you tackle a big project all at once with no clear plan, you will stress yourself and burn out. On the other hand, if you try and rush into juggling several projects at once, you’ll probably get lost in all of the details, overwhelmed and start dropping balls.
What we want to do is set you up for success. I want to give you a way to create a systematic plan to accomplish each of your projects in the least amount of time while ensuring your success. That is precisely why we will break these projects into a series of tasks that we can take on one by one, preventing overwhelm. As a result, I’m reducing the probability that steps will be skipped and balls will be dropped, ensuring your success!
HOW TO BREAK UP A BIG PROJECT INTO MANAGEABLE PIECES
The beauty of this method is that it can be applied to any point you are at in the process of completing your project. So if you want the best possible outcome, you can use this method on your next blog post or launch right from the start.
If you have been toiling away and are just having a hard time keeping track of all the moving pieces, this system is excellent at organizing the mess. Don’t save this method for some future abstract launches. Instead, apply it now to all your duties, and you will see how effectively it can keep you on track.
START BY MAKING A LIST.
The first thing we will do is break this project into a simple list. Sit down and think about the plan. Think about all the steps needed to complete it. Now, break up the job into what you have already done, what you need to do still, and all the steps required to publish your work.
For content that you publish regularly, create a master list that you can reuse every time you complete the task. This is especially great for blog posts, podcasts, youtube videos, and even product creation.
This template can be a godsend if you do this all the time. It will save you the time of creating the list repeatedly. It can often be easily adapted to new pieces of content or future ventures.
Let’s use a blog post as an example:
Decide on a topic
Do your research
Search for your keywords
Write an outline
Write 3 paragraphs
Conclusion
Introduction
Call to action
Edit
Edit again
Keep editing!
Monetize with ads and affiliates.
Publish
Promote
This process will be repeated weekly regardless of the topic you choose. Creating a systematic approach to writing and publishing your blog posts will save you time and effort in the future.
BREAK UP YOUR LIST INTO SINGLE-TASK ITEMS.
From here, we can break up each of these items into single tasks. For example, for “decide on a topic,” You might break it up into:
Think up 5 topic ideas.
Brainstorm supporting arguments and other associations.
Choose a topic.
Continue to break down the rest of your list until there are simple tasks you can finish in a sitting. For example, if you are looking at more substantial items like editing, you can just add them to your list as:
Editing sitting 1
Editing sitting 2
Etc.
As we continue to work through each step, you might find that you can break them down even further. You have the freedom to update this list and add new tasks at any time. Sometimes things become more evident as you work through the process.
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GIVE EACH ITEM A TIMEFRAME.
Add the amount of time you want to spend on each of these sections. For example, give yourself 10 minutes to decide on a topic. Then another 10 minutes to brainstorm all the supporting arguments you can think of. Finally, you might give yourself another 5 minutes to reflect on what you have come up with and choose your topic. Your list will look like this now:
Think up 5 topic ideas (10 minutes)
Brainstorm supporting arguments and other associations (10 minutes)
Choose a topic (5 minutes)
Continue down your list and add a timeframe to the rest of your tasks. Remember, you can always adjust the time required later if you need to.
If any tasks take longer than 15 minutes, you should break those into smaller sections. That might mean creating new items or adding several entries for the same task, like editing.
This is also going to help you in managing your time. When we think of writing a blog post, for example. We often think we can whip one up in an hour or two. When you assign accurate time expectations to each task, you better understand how long you actually spend on the process.
This knowledge will better help trim the wasted time or allow you to set aside enough time to do a good job. As time goes on, you may get faster, but it is better to have more time than you need than to rush through and make mistakes.
CHOOSE SOMEWHERE TO START AND TACKLE THAT TASK.
Let’s start at the beginning. Take the first 10 minutes and just write out all the topics that come to mind. If it only takes you 5 minutes, excellent! Still, take the whole time to think of different angles you might consider. Then, write them down as they come to mind, so we can review them later.
Spend the full 10 minutes to really think about the topic. Grab a coffee before you start, and use this as the quiet time before the storm. Don’t rush through this step, even if you feel like you finished early. If you have nothing to write about after a couple of minutes, try expanding the individual ideas. If you can think of related topics or different perspectives that you feel are strong, add them.
Keep this list for the future. It’s always better to have too many topic ideas than too few. So, keep this list and pull from it the next time you sit down to write a blog post. Don’t trust yourself to remember these ideas when you need them.
I keep a notebook full of ideas for articles, products, courses and other offers. I like to go through it periodically to revisit my old visions and pull from them when I lack creativity.
CONTINUE ON TO THE NEXT TASK ONCE THE TIME EXPIRES.
We spent the first 10 minutes thinking of topics we would like to use in our example. Expanding those ideas to flesh them out will flow naturally as the next task.
If you need help with the next job on your list, you can do them in any order you want. This usually applies to someone a little further in the process, but it can still apply here. For example, you may want to write on a particular topic. You can jump to research and then return to step 2 to decide on a specific angle or perspective. In our example, we will just move straight on to task two.
USE YOUR TASK LIST AS A BLUEPRINT TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS.
Once you have your topic, you can start thinking of different ideas that will support your position. Next, we are going to have a brainstorming session.
Start by doing a brain dump of all the ideas that can help support your stance. Then, use this 10-minute interval to fill in the brainstorm and see where it takes you.
Don’t misunderstand. This is not the same as research. Just use your own mental associations to elaborate on ideas during this brain dump session. It might help you choose a topic or perspective.
Here you find how much you know about the subject or even if you actually have anything to say. Doing elaborations like this will also help in later steps when deciding what to research.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER TASKS THAT TAKE LONGER THAN 15 MINUTES?
In our example, the next step will be to start researching your ideas before you begin to outline and write your paragraphs. These tasks can also be broken down further.
If you have two hours to do research, break that up into tasks as well. First, divide your list into four 30-minute sittings to research your topic for supporting arguments or interesting facts. Then, give yourself time to research each of these facts for information to build your paragraphs with.
Your list will now look like this:
Research (2 hours total)
Research sitting 1 (30 minutes) - find 3 interesting facts
Research sitting 2 (30 minutes) - research fact 1
Research sitting 3 (30 minutes) - research fact 2
Research sitting 4 (30 minutes) - research fact 3
Spend the first 30 minutes researching your topic as a whole. Spend this time looking into the supporting arguments you came up with from your initial brainstorming session. You might find better ones that are more relevant to your position. Find 3 in this first 30-minute session and then spend 30 minutes researching each supporting argument.
After you have spent this initial time, decide if it was enough. Are you confident with the information you came up with? Do you feel like you need more? Only after you have spent this first 30 minutes of research time as directed should you go back and continue to research the topic as a whole. Going forward, try to spend time looking into the facts for interesting tidbits to add to your article.
Do NOT research blindly. We often spend a ton of time exploring facts we don’t need. Unstructured research time can be a wasteland for productivity. Do your first research sittings like this then, only if you need more information, assign more time to a specific task.
If you have a specific and directed plan, you won’t waste time falling into the hole of researching for days and weeks. You can be straightforward and targeted in your searches and know what you are looking for. You may choose to spend much more time on research or much less. This will be subjective to the scope of your project, so follow your gut.
Set a timer and have a short break between each session. Change the topic you are searching for after each of these markers to ensure that you are not spending your time on one specific fact. This will guarantee you are making progress on the whole project and not spending all your time digging your heels in on one portion. You don’t want to fall down a rabbit hole and run out of time.
IT’S OKAY TO SAVE THE HARDEST TASKS FOR LAST.
Things like pricing or packaging a product can be extremely intimidating. This is a step that many entrepreneurs get stuck on. They don’t know how to calculate prices or find the perfect artwork for their packaging.
I’m here today to tell you that it is okay to forge forward without having these answers. Start the process, finish the easy tasks first, and deal with the hard stuff later.
So many times, it turns out that the challenging tasks just need to be broken down further. Let’s use “pricing my product” as an example.
Try answering these questions:
How long does it take for you to create it?
How much do you charge for your time?
How much did the materials cost to construct it?
Are there any other factors that cost money?
How many can be made at a time using the above materials?
Plug the above numbers into an equation to find the cost.
Multiply by 2 or 3.
Am I comfortable with this number?
This series of steps seems much less intimidating, doesn’t it?
START EARLY AND TAKE YOUR TIME.
Continue breaking down the initial list until you have tasks at most 15 - 30 minutes each. If you have to list something multiple times, that’s okay. We want to have a long list of items that are not intimidating. Some of them might even be 5 or 10 minutes. Just break it down.
If you start your project early using this simple method, you can select a task each day to cross off. That way, you are not rushing yourself or encountering writer’s block because you are burnt out.
Now that you have this big, beautiful list, you will want to start checking tasks off. So just sit down with your list, a pen and paper, or a laptop and start plugging away at each of these units.
MAKE SURE YOU BREAK UP YOUR SITTINGS OVER MULTIPLE DAYS.
Decide how much time you will have to work on this project daily, so you can plan which items you can cross off. Remember, once you have this list, you no longer have to work on things in order.
So, suppose you are not motivated to be a fantastic wordsmith with expert levels of eloquence one day. You can always work on outlines or research instead. Leave the writing and phrasing for another day when you are prepared to craft the perfect sentence for the perfect blog post.
While super tempting, saving a project for the last minute is definitely not the best practice. You will create better content if you just break it up and work on it over days. Even if you devote only 30 minutes daily to your list, you will see an increase in quality.
It will also make it less likely that you will give up and not do it. Consistency is critical when you are publishing content and interacting with customers. They will come to anticipate releases and be disappointed when there isn’t one.
When you have a plan to complete your content, you will be more likely to publish on time, building trust with your tribe.
BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.
I know we all want to lie to ourselves and say we work best under pressure, but it’s just not true. 99% of the best work happens in revision.
The more you revise or proofread the work, the better it sounds, so just read it over repeatedly and edit it. You don’t even have to read it from beginning to end. Instead, pick a paragraph at random and edit that. Continue until you have finished or until your 30-minute sitting is over.
Try using Grammarly to help with your editing. It is entirely free to use, but there is also a premium version with even more benefits. I have been using it for years and can not understate its value.
SPEND MORE TIME EDITING THAN YOU DID Creating.
As you work on that blog post and fill up those pages, you will read it back and make tiny tweaks. A small change or a minor adjustment there will enhance and clarify and improve it.
Don’t wait until the last minute when you have to throw a Hail Mary. At that point, you are just writing it all down like you are blurting it out. You will then only have time to go over it once, save and publish it. Quality is not a priority at this point, and mistakes can slip through.
Instead, rush your draft. Throw your ideas onto the paper however they come to mind, and spend all your time editing it until it is just right.
TIPS FOR STAYING ON TRACK
Just start early. Even if your task for that day is to just make your list. Make an effort to work on it for 10 or 15 minutes each day to cross off one item. Plan it out so that you have set aside time each day to work on the process, and you will thank me for it on the due date.
Assign a specific amount of time to each task on your list. Stick to this time estimate as much as possible for the most part. Obviously, writing or editing may run you long, but giving yourself a time frame for each task will help you stay on track and move quickly. It will also help you understand the minimum amount of time expected to complete an assignment.
Without breaking down the time, you might think it will only take a couple of hours to write a blog post. However, once you break down and account for each task, you will realize that it takes much longer.
When you count up all of the 5 and 15-minute duties required to complete and publish your blog post properly, you’ll see that these tasks all add up.
You might often massively underestimate how much time is required for writing or editing the first few times you do this. But as you continue and repeat the process, you will get more efficient at doing each task. You will be better able to estimate how much time you need to complete it, making your timing more accurate.
Finally, stick to this plan as much as possible. It’s tempting to trade in 30 minutes today for an hour tomorrow, but you will find all the same excuses not to work on it again tomorrow. It’s going to be easy to get unmotivated. But motivation comes from seeing progress. If you stick to the plan and don’t fall behind, you won’t get overwhelmed. You won’t get unmotivated and will feel even better about what you have accomplished. Most importantly, You will not dread working on it and catching up.
Write down the plan, and stick to it. You will see that you will stop getting so much fear and frustration about working on it. Anxiety over every piece of content you have to publish will subside because you are working on it and chipping away every day and seeing progress. This is really going to get you motivated to finish it.
Once you’ve learned to systemize processes, it’s easier to streamline your day and get more things done. You will also find that it enables you to outsource or assign tasks to others. This is mainly because you can see, at a glance, what needs to be completed. Then, you can get help with what you are not particularly inspired to do.
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If the thought of delegating gives you anxiety, You are not alone. I am an overachieving perfectionist who hates relinquishing control over the simplest tasks. If you want to find out how I learned to delegate, even as a solopreneur, with little capital when I was just starting out, you can check out my complete method.
Please let me know if you have a simple way of describing your processes in the comments. By sharing our knowledge with each other, we elevate our fellow entrepreneurs. There is room here for all of us.
If you are just starting your hustle, don’t forget to pick up my FREE Ultimate Business Checklist. This is a systematic approach to help you create and launch your official online business. It’s a simple, easy-to-use format that prompts you to set goals for each and every task, ensuring that you stay on track and avoid getting overwhelmed. Download yours here.
I want to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and wanted to share with my audience.