I don't condone eating elephants on any average day, but you know how the saying goes.
I'm heading up to a big life change and with it comes many moving parts. It's not catastrophic but any big change brings with it many feelings of uncertainty, worry, stress and without an overarching plan in place to work according to, I would be completely freaking out by now.
One bite at a time
Planning
I've been through many different stressful situations in my life and some of them had very little time to prepare or plan for but I got through them and the only way I did it was by methodically choosing each part that needed to be achieved and getting it done, whatever shape that may have taken. This time it is no different other than the fact that I don't have a huge time constraint and I do have the ability to plan it more effectively. Writing things down on paper has always been my go-to when it comes to project planning. It apparently helps your brain articulate it better. I start with the entire project and what I need to achieve with it (the end goal) and I then break it down into it's parts.
Bite Size
With the planning, one needs to not get overwhelmed by the magnitude of the issue at hand and breaking it down into bite sized pieces is the only way to keep this at bay. Having the time and ability to deconstruct all the various issues at play and deal with them one at a time lessens the focus of the overarching picture and then gives you a manageable chunk to deal with. Us humans have a tendency to overthink things but if you can lower the intensity by dealing with each part individually, it makes things run more smoothly, you'll be able to hit your targets more effectively or change the scenario to ensure that you stay on track of your schedule.
Overarching timeline
Having a timeline for when you want to hit certain percentages of a project is crucial to staying the course. If you have planned out that by a certain date you want to have XYZ completed, make sure you are holding yourself accountable. It is the best way to ensure that you can change things along the way if necessary when things might pop up that perhaps you lose a day. This way you can gauge whether you are going to fall behind or whether you can catch up by putting in extra hours. The flexibility aspect I mention below comes in handy here and while you might find that you hit a crunch time when something pops up, you'll feel all the better once it's rectified and you are back on track with your original targets.
Execution
In order to attain the desired end goal, I try to do as much as possible in one given sitting. This means setting aside time to deal with the current part of your plan and then getting stuck in. If you dilly dally and procrastinate (I'm very good at this by the way), then you simply are going to fall behind and then the planning you put in place would have been for naught.
Etiquette and attributes at the table
Discipline
Discipline is paramount to this kind of project and I think that without it, it would mean you are bound to fail. There are always going to be unknowns when it comes to any project and there are most certainly going to be spanners thrown in the works but if you are disciplined, they shouldn't be so extreme that your entire project is derailed. They need to then be dealt with in the same fashion as all the other parts - set aside, dissected and resolved and then you will have the ability to move forward. They may very well cause some issues but that is where the next part comes in.
The right attitude
Having a winning attitude goes a long way when dealing with any projects or problems you may encounter along your journey. If you are heavily critical of yourself, it could lead to self sabotage (yes, guilty of this too at times). Shifting to a positive attitude will make the load seem lighter and will possibly lead to a more enjoyable experience all round.
Flexibility
I find that this one is of paramount importance. Having the ability to be flexible and adaptable especially if/when things may go wrong is really key to a successful end game. Sure there are situations where you can't really be flexible especially if it is outside of your control but this goes hand in hand with having the right "can do" attitude to get things accomplished. Do what you can with what you have.
Self appreciation and assessment
This is probably one part that many people overlook but it is important to keep up the momentum. If you have completed a part of the project and are keeping a to-do list from your plan, it's good practice to give yourself a pat on the back along the way when you are hitting your goals. It doesn't have to be a mammoth do, it can just be something like buying yourself a treat as a "job well done" or visiting your favourite park for an extra 20 minutes, but something that helps you to feel accomplished and that you are getting through the work load.
The end goal achievement
This is the fun part. Once you have got to the end of your project and you've ticked all the boxes, you can breathe a sigh of relief and actually congratulate yourself on the achievement. Mammoth life changes and everything that comes with them can be really quite daunting but you can look back on them and say "Wow, that's pretty darn freaking amazing that I achieved that". It's often overlooked because we can be so exhausted by reaching the end or the anti-climax might be kicking in hard. Give yourself some time to bask in the limelight (even if it's only your own) and then assess the situation on where things may have gone wrong, what you did to fix them, how you handled the difficult parts, where you excelled and what you would do differently if you had to do it again. Honest self assessment is great to building up your strengths, learning where your weaknesses are and teaching you how well you do when you have to dig deep. It's something to take forward in life and use for your next project on the horizon.
Have you got a big project you're busy working on? How much planning do you do around them and do you feel it helps? Have you got any other aspects that you would add to these? Feel free to tell me in the comments.
The image is mine and is not for use without my permission