Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Tackling a Big Project
I help a lot of people with big projects: moves of all types, renovations, creating home offices or making room for a new baby. It doesn’t matter what the project is, certain principles always apply.
Deadline: Whenever someone comes to me with a big project the first thing I need to know is the deadline. If there isn’t a hard deadline then we create a goal date. The idea is to have a date in mind so you can build your timeline backwards.
Identify Steps: Once I know what our deadline is, then we discuss the project and come up with all of the steps that will need to be accomplished between now and then. Generally, we come up with an order that makes sense, and then we can begin working towards those steps, which are, in a way, mini-deadlines en route to the big goal. For example, if you are decluttering your former guest room/office to make room for a baby we might have a day when Salvation Army comes to pick up some donation stuff and after that another step where the room is being painted. We may decide that it makes sense to hold off on having the furniture delivered until after the painting if possible and schedule that toward the end.
Scheduling: The best resources, whether they are movers or painters or whatever you are in need of, are often booked months in advance, so as soon as you know you are going to need help- call these people and schedule them.
Build in Buffers: Nothing ever goes according to plan, so when finishing on time is a priority, I like to build in buffer zones between steps. If I need an apartment to be empty by the end of the month, I might have a moving man come to move some furniture the family wants on the first Monday of the month, then I might have a charity come take stuff for donation on the 2nd Monday, then Junk-Luggers on the 3rd Monday, leaving room for cancellations and problems while still having the apartment empty and ready for cleaning before turning over the keys.
Do your Part: Even when you are calling in specialists there are usually parts of a big project only you can do. Whether it is deciding which of your late mother’s papers you’ll need or choosing a finish for your new bathroom faucet. Sometimes once there is a ‘team’ in place it is easy to think the hard part is done, but it is your project and you’ll need to be involved. No matter what the project, there are always many little decisions along the way that only you can make.
Big projects are daunting, but with a little foresight and planning you can break them up into little steps and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your new home or paint job or maybe even your new baby.