Between Goals, Projects and Tasks, Projects deserve the main attention and proper management since goals will eventually break down into one or more projects, and tasks could round up into projects as well.
This flexible Multi Projects Management Notebook enables you to manage up to 25 projects with key tools like projects index, monthly projects plan, timeline across 12 months, individual project briefing, brainstorming, and Gantt chart that can contain up to 40 tasks and lasts for 16 weeks.
Multi Projects Management Notebook
$14.20
Content Covered Today:
What Is The Definition Of A Project?
It’s important to understand what projects really are before knowing everything about project management. I like David Allen’s definition to projects which is “A project has an intended outcome that will take more than one action to achieve. So this would mean that most things we do are projects even if we do not think of them that way“
Let’s do some application to that definition to understand its value. “writing the report” will be considered a task if all you have to do is immediately writing this report based on information you already have access to and keeping it with yourself. It will become a project however, if you have at do even one more thing other than writing as sharing it with someone else, or researching the topic, or asking for reference material to use, or asking for feedback once done, etc.
Understanding this is key to see the value of the project management concept and tools used for that purpose. Another benefit would be to better organize your productivity system by including ONLY tasks in your To Do Lists Manager while keeping your projects in your distinct projects list or folder.
The latter is a main reason for failure I see in my coaching experience. Most people are putting projects into their To Do Lists Managers that should have only immediate next action to act upon. But when labeling something like “write the report” as a next action when you don’t have the material needed to write it is a reason for procrastination and failure to initiation. Alternatively, they should have had “ask for the material” as the next action, followed by “write the report”
Why Projects Management Are Important?
Project Management has been and will always be a key topic to learn with tools still being created to facilitate it including programs, notebooks, apps, and even templates for the following reasons:
1- Project management is a powerful tool of wellbeing.
Since projects include more than one piece to monitor, then having a system that helps you do that decreases the stress levels, relaxes your mind, and improves your mental wellbeing as a result.
Also, using effective project management and having the right tools to do so ultimately lead to successful completion of projects which improves your overall financial wellbeing as a result of career progression or increased revenue due to the closure of those projects.
Depending on the nature of your projects, other wellbeing dimensions will improve such as social wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and spiritual wellbeing if those projects were related to these dimensions.
2- Projects are the essence of any long term goals, vision, and missions.
When it comes to vision, mission and goals, they are ultimately broken down into few main distinct chunks. A vision of “Being the best pianist” will include projects like; buy a piano, learn how to play the piano, participate in competitions, create melodies, make videos, etc.
3- Project management takes care of all the pieces.
According to David Allen’s definition shared above, we agreed that projects consist of more than one task that are equally important. buying the piano alone isn’t helpful in achieving your goal, you have to learn it as well. With project management, you get to follow up on both pieces “buying and learning” so that you’re not missing out on anything important.
Not only that, but projects can even be further broken down into main chunks “subprojects” and those subprojects are broken down into several tasks, leading to so many pieces to monitor for the success of the project. Project management helps you do that by taking care of all the moving parts in a project.
Should You Use Project Management Notebooks?
Project management tools can be digital or physical and depending on your personality and organizational behaviors you have, you might choose one or the other or even both. To be transparent with you, I personally use digital project management tools to manage my projects like mind manager (for creating mind maps for large or heavy projects), excel (for medium sized projects), and Microsoft To Do (for small sized or very simple projects).
However, in my coaching practice I came across a lot of clients using physical tools like project management notebooks or templates and they were working fine for them. In fact, I believe one client told me he can’t think of doing it digitally. He liked writing things down on paper.
I think you can consider using physical project management notebooks based on the following:
1- You like using pen and paper in general, not just for project management, but also for planning, journaling, note taking, managing your to dos, etc.
2- You don’t have an effective digital tool to use for your projects. As I stated above, I use excel for medium sized projects and excel is pretty much available to everyone so you can use it as well unless you suffer the 3rd point below.
3- You don’t know how to use existing tools with ease. Yes you have access to excel but if you don’t know how to use it effectively and every time you spend hours looking up equations or formatting tips then you are better off without it for now.
4- Your projects don’t need others involvement. If you are working on projects that don’t involve a team then using a physical notebook can be an option since digital tools are mainly effective if sharing them with others is needed.
How To Choose A Project Management Notebook?
Once you decide you’ll use a physical project management notebook, then I suggest looking for the following criteria when choosing one:
- Portability: it has to suitable size to be carried around if you prefer it that way.
- Size: It should have enough size to write on. Depending on your preference whether you intend to carry it around or just leave it at office for example, then you can go for a relatively smaller size for the former decision or slightly bigger size for the latter intent.
- Content: Most project management systems include more or less similar items like project details and Gantt chart so look for a project management notebook that contains at least those items PLUS those you can make use of.
- Durability: Many of projects you’re going to handle are going to last for relatively long duration, months or even more than a year, so you need to look for the project management notebook that can sustain multiple usage without wearing out.
- Price: It goes without saying that you need to have a decent project management notebook with good price.
Benefits Of This Multi Projects Management Notebook
I designed this Multi Projects Management Notebook taking into account all the previous criteria I recommend when choosing your project management notebook PLUS complaints I gathered from my clients in our productivity coaching sessions and from feedback on Amazon, so you get to benefit the following:
- Simple:
It’s easy to use and self explanatory.
- Sufficient:
As the name states, this is a multi projects management notebook with room to manage up to 25 projects. 25 is around the average number of projects you’ll manage in a year. If you have more, you can always have another notebook and the “index” page will help you identify projects included in each notebook.
- Undated:
Works anytime throughout the year and any year. All you have to do is put the year(s) and months you’re starting to use this notebook from.
- Flexible:
Most of the content section are greyed out so you can reorganize as you see fit.
- Focused:
This notebook is designed with the single purpose of managing your projects that emerge either from breaking down bigger goals or grouping up relevant tasks together. It’s recommended to use another notebooks/placeholders for goals, tasks, notes, and time organizing.
- Compatible:
It’s compatible with the remaining notebooks in the “Productivity Notebooks Set” I created or other notebooks you might have.
- Portable:
It’s a 6 by 9 inches notebook so a good size if you want either to keep it at office or carry it around with you if your job dictates moving around much.
- Content:
Not only you get to have the main project management elements like project details and Gantt chart, but also you’ll benefit from other effective and practical elements as I’ll explain in the content section below.
- Durable:
This Multi Project Management Notebook is designed to last longer than other notebooks due to the following:
- having a well designed durable Hardcover that sustain wear and tear from repetitive usage.
- It’s undated also so you get to make most use of it without wasting pages.
- It got room for 25 projects so relatively a year’s worth of projects.
What Are The Content Of This Multi Projects Management Notebook?
- Projects index: Placeholders for 26 projects
- Monthly Projects Plan: Assign projects for each month
- Projects timeline: Visualize your projects across 12 months
- Projects management pages: Has 3 sections as follows:
- Project Brief: essential information about the project
- Brainstorming: Creative thinking space
- Gantt Chart: Up to 40 tasks and 16 weeks timeline.
