Planing a project: 5 tools you need to get started

Planning a project can be cumbersome. However it is the key to project success. Checkout the article "Planning a project: 5 tools you need to get started"  by Laura Stack a contributing writer for the Austin Business Journal for an effective project planning strategy.

Slow down to improve your productivity

• Fast Decisions: Fast decisions are not always reliable decisions. Often they need to be fixed and as a result incur a substantial cost. Instead slow down and go forward with the decision after carefully considering the pluses and minuses of the decision.
• Email: Before sending an email, slow down. You don’t want to send an email until you have thought it out completely. Once you select the send button, it’s too late to change the email.
• Creative: Be creative instead of robotic. Using our creativity inspires us to go forward instead of just stumbling aimlessly along.
• Stress: Slowing down reduces stress levels. Stress negatively impacts the way you process information and is simply not good for your health.

How do you stay motivated to complete your goals?

Remember that goals are a tool for planning progress. To accomplish a goal you need to enjoy the everyday small wins (task completion). Otherwise the pursuit of your goal will turn into another unwanted stressful burden. For example, if your goal is to loose 10 pounds in a month. And after the first week you discover a weight lost of 3 pounds, pat your self on the back for a great small win. Instead of telling yourself “I haven’t reached my goal yet.”

Are you having problems prioritizing tasks?

Let’s face it. Sometimes it’s difficult to prioritize one task over another because a lot of them are urgent. Overcome this dilemma by evaluating each task not only against urgency, but also by context, available time, and resources. This will allow you to complete tasks that are urgent and doable today.

Free Project Management Videos from ProjectManager.com

Checkout these great free project management videos from ProjectManager.com:
http://www.projectmanager.com/project-management-training