Momentum Steps: Keeping Multiple Projects Moving
One question I hear a lot is, “Should I be working on more than one project at a time?” I believe that most people can handle more than one project. Though, I advise that at any given time, you know what your highest priority project is, and which of those come second. It is also important to keep the projects listed all in one place. This can be as simple as a notebook, list, project planner, or software, like: asana, clickup, or trello.
A strategy that works well to keep multiple projects going at one time is what I call, momentum steps. The idea is that while having a project plan that consists of tasks within that project is important, each project needs a momentum step. This is something that is going to automatically bring that project back to you so that you’ll remember to decide your next action, keeping the momentum going on that project. Without momentum steps, projects lose steam and get stalled
Here are some examples of good momentum steps:
Recurring meeting (it can be with yourself, but having one other person present is helpful)
Recurring ‘reminder’ on your smartphone
Task in a software like Asana with a due date & reminder set
Telling an accountability partner, “Hold me accountable.”
A good rule of thumb is to answer these questions each time you pick up the project and then set it back down:
What action will I do next?
How am I going to remember to do it? And when?
How have I automated it so I won’t forget?
As David Allen says, “our minds are for having ideas, not holding them.” If you can free up your mindshare for creativity instead of an endless storage of “to-do’s”, you’ll be amazed at how successful you can be.
Let’s take an example from the workplace. Let’s say an entrepreneur is launching an online course, increasing her social media presence and promoting an upcoming workshop at the same time. The top priority for her right now is the online course launch, so on any given day, she’ll default to checking a task or two off the course launch before working on other projects. Here are some potential momentum steps for each project:
Online course launch: a recurring meeting with a Virtual Assistant (VA) or colleague working on a similar project (to hold each other accountable)
Social media presence: a recurring writing timeblock on the calendar at a coffee shop every Friday (or the first Friday of the month) for content writing (even more likely to get done if this social media post is “due” to someone else like an editor, copywriter or VA)
Promo of workshop: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software tasks with reminders set for customers or prospects to invite to the workshop
This strategy can also work at home. Let’s say you are planning a trip, overseeing family doctor visits, and managing a remodel. The remodel is the highest priority project and all the others need to get done too. Here are some potential momentum steps for each project:
Planning a trip: a list of tasks on your smartphone with details being coordinated with a reminder set to book the rental car (or whatever the “next action” is since you last touched the project)
Family Dr. Visits: a momentum step can be to make your next doctor appointment visit before you leave the last one
Managing a remodel: a recurring meeting with your contractor or your partner to revisit the project plan and talk about the next decisions to be made
The most important thing about this strategy is that before you conclude working on one of your projects at any given time, you ask yourself - what do I need to do next to move this situation or project toward closure? Then, capture that next action somewhere that will automatically remind you, without needing to rely on your brain to remember. Keeping your brain free and clear for creative ideas to flow is crucial to your success and peace of mind.
