Use Time Management Tips to Juggle Work and Personal Projects
When you have projects at work that need your time and attention, it can be hard to balance those tasks with projects you are working on at home. Whether you are undertaking a large home remodeling project or planning a celebration, the key to juggling it all is to stay organized! When this Professional Organizer in NYC takes on large projects at home, I prepare for them as if they are a work project. This month, I happily took on hosting a Passover Seder for my family and friends at my home. Here are the time management tips I used to keep all the tasks on track.
Start with project management. Just like you would when you begin a project in the office, start your preparations with a plan. A month in advance of the Seder, I began to identify all the tasks to be done and map out the project. I included everything – menu planning, invitations, shopping lists, household chores that would need to be completed, cooking and setup. By mapping every task out, I was able to ensure that everything from initial planning steps to the last minute food preparation would be addressed.
Schedule and set deadlines. Having a task list is not enough. You need to schedule tasks into your calendar. This allowed me to work on bits and pieces of the preparation over the course of the month rather than attempt to do everything the day before everyone showed up at my home for dinner. I blocked time in my calendar 4 weeks in advance of Passover to invite my guests. At 3 weeks out, I had time booked to shop for the chicken soup and brisket ingredients and to then cook both. As the time got closer and my to-do list got longer, I made sure to leave extra time in my schedule for the remaining shopping, cooking and last minute cleaning that needed to be done.
Delegate tasks. Just like you will delegate tasks to your team when working on a large work project, delegating tasks to your guests also ensures that all tasks are done by the desired deadline. This is a great way to get others involved in the celebration, and it also takes a little bit of stress off of the hostess. About a week in advance of the Passover Seder, I reached out to my guests and asked them to contribute to the holiday by bringing wine, dessert and other goodies. I typically refer to these requests as their “assignments,” and my friends and family often reach out to ask me what their assignment will be before I even get to them!
Just like when managing a project in the office, preparing for a holiday celebration or a project at home requires organization and planning. When you treat these projects as you would an office project, you’ll be able to stay organized and not feel overwhelmed trying to balance everything going on at both work and home. For hands on strategies with project management or time management tips, reach out to this Professional Organizer in NYC.