Hey friend
Welcome to 200 Word Tuesdays. Where we give you short, actionable ideas to implement in your project management. We promise that you haven’t heard these powerful ideas anywhere else. Let’s get started.
This one comes from Tim Ferriss. The famous author of The Four Hour Workweek, amongst other books.
Ferriss explains what to do when things go wrong. When you are well in over your head. When you are fighting fires on both fronts. Your work life is as chaotic as your personal life and you cannot fathom ever getting back to baseline.
We all have periods like that. It may last days, weeks or months.
What Tim Ferriss recommends is a mantra: Make Before You Manage.
Let’s take an example of a particularly chaotic day. You need to call the vet for your sick dog, your car is making a strange noise, your client has texted you at 6:30am and you have a presentation due tomorrow. On top of that, you are sure you feel a flu coming on.
There are just too many things to manage. Too many things happening at once.
BUT… they can wait a few minutes. It feels like they can’t. But they can.
As Ferriss recommends, take a few minutes to make something.
Write (in a diary, or an email to a friend).
Draw a silly picture.
Play the piano.
Because the psychological benefit of creating something is huge.
Then get back to the grind. Probably with a renewed sense of calm.
Let me know how this method works for you.
See you next week,
Jonathan (The Effective Project Manager)
👋 Need a bit more help?
I created a digital task tracker for project managers. It works in Excel and Google Sheets and helps you get on top of your tasks. And stay there. It’s the same sheet I use daily.
Such a good reminder to pause (and make, reset) before we try to juggle everything. Thank you!