How To Break Your Projects Into Smaller Manageable Tasks

Make a list of tasks you can delegate: To begin thinking about which household tasks you can delegate to others, ask yourself the following: Which tasks do I find enjoyable and which are time-consuming and exhausting? We are always more productive when we focus on the things we really want to do.

Which household chores or errands are really necessary on a regular basis? Are there people or services that can help you with any of your common responsibilities? Which tasks do you really dread doing? Could you easily pass them off to someone else? Or reduce the time you spend on them? Are there any household tasks that you truly enjoy? How much time are you spending keeping current with household responsibilities? Are there any ways to include your children in necessary tasks to make them more enjoyable?What are some ways you can alleviate pressures and responsibilities that take you away from career-building, family time, or other activities you believe are truly important?

When I went through this exercise, my focus was on outsourcing any task that took me away from what was important to me: career-building or family time.I found that the biggest time commitments outside of what I valued as important were domestic responsibilities–cleaning, cooking, and regular errands like dry cleaning, groceries, and driving kids to their weekly activities (and we have a lot).

Obviously, we all need to take on some domestic responsibilities to ensure that our household runs smoothly. But by honestly asking yourself how you can be more efficient and by utilizing the support networks and services around you–you will be able to run your home without running yourself into the ground.

Find a good fit: It goes without saying that all tasks cannot be done well by everyone. My housecleaner would be terrible at doing our taxes and even worse at mowing our lawn. The trick is to play toward everyone’s strengths before you assign any work to others.

For example, in the creation of this book, I made the mistake of using my website designer to help with the cover creation. I did this because I thought it would be easier–I already knew him, he had done good work for me, and although it was outside of his normal responsibilities, I thought he could do a good job. I was wrong–way wrong. We went through several versions, I spent funds unnecessarily, and together we ultimately realized it wasn’t right. You would think that as the author of this book, I would have taken my own advice. But we’re all a work in progress, right?

The cover was eventually completed, but I certainly wasted a good amount of time trying to fit someone into a role they were not skilled to do. By managing your expectations and theirs, everyone will be happier.

Breaking projects into smaller, manageable tasks makes it easier to find a good fit to do the job. It also helps you avoid dropping an overwhelming amount of work on someone new who hasn’t yet had a chance to show you their worth.

Match tasks with strengths, and everyone will be happier and more successful in their roles.

Samantha Knowles is the author of Working Mom Reviews. Know how to protect yourself from everyday illness. check Reverse My Disease. Know about latest cookbook that has healthy and easy recipes that kids also love, check out Family Friendly Fat Burning Meals

Visit eWorldOfAds for free classifieds