How to Manage Work
1. Objective:
The objective of this document is to provide a structured approach to managing work that is clear, actionable, and efficient. By following the steps outlined in this guide, one should be able to identify the projects being worked on, specify their overall goals, break them down into subgoals, and plan the tasks required to achieve those goals. Given those plans, one can then execute the tasks, track progress, and adjust as needed to ensure successful completion of the projects.
2. Setup steps:
Step 1: Create a directory to manage work.
Create a directory to manage the work that is beign done. The directory can be named "Management" or "WorkManagement" or any other name that is suitable. This directory will contain all the files and documents related to the management of work.
Step 2: Create an index file.
Create an index file in the directory that will serve as summary of the work management. The index file should contain the following sections: - Current Projects - List of projects being worked on and their main goals - Inboxes - Specification of inbox files for loose ideas and tasks - Templates - Description of templates used for creating new projects - Weekly Plan - File with the current and previous weekly plans
Step 2: Create an inbox file.
Create an inbox.md file in the directory to capture all ideas, projects and tasks that cross your mind. This file will serve as a repository for all the loose ideas and tasks that need to be organized and processed.
The inbox file is loosly structured and just lists everything e.g. - Idea for a new project - Task to be done - Note to remember - etc.
Step 3: Sort the inbox file.
Based on the list of projects, tasks and ideas in the inbox file, sort them into the appropriate projects. For each project, create a new folder with an appriopriate name e.g. "XYZ". In each folder, initialize two files: - goals_XYZ.md - File with the goals of the project and division into sub-goals, - plan_XYZ.md - File with the plan of the project and execution of the sub-goals.
The goals.md and plan.md files should be created using the templates provided. You can copy the templates to the management folder so that they are at hand.
The goals.md file should contain the goals of the project and division into sub-goals and their prospective due date. The plan.md file should contain the plan of the project and the sub-goals. Each sub-goal should be broken down into specific, actionable tasks with the estimated time to complete.
Fill the goals.md and plan.md files with appriopriate information. The templates provide the structure and instructions what should be where.
Step 4: Create a weekly plan.
Initialise the weekly_plan.md file in the directory. The weekly plan contains the tasks for the week and the past weeks. The weekly plan is divided into days. The weekly plan should contain the tasks for each day of the week, the time allocated for each task, and the status of the task (done, in progress, not done). You can use the weekly plan template provided.
3. Iteration Steps:
Step 1: Plan the week.
At the beginning of each week, plan the tasks for the week. Review the goals and sub-goals of the projects being worked on. Prioritise which projects to work on and fill the weekly plan with appriopriate tasks. Allocate time for each task and ensure that the tasks are specific, actionable, and achievable within the week.
Given the plan, the weekly plan can specify 2h blocks of work dedicated to specific sub-goal of the project. The weekly plan should also contain time for other activities like gym, tennis, lunch, etc.
Step 2: Fill the calendar.
Fill the calendar with the tasks from the weekly plan. Allocate time for each task and ensure that the tasks are specific, actionable, and achievable within the day.
Step 3: Execute the tasks.
Follow the weekly plan and execute the tasks as planned. Track the progress of the tasks and update the weekly plan with the status of the tasks (done, in progress, not done).
After the block is finished, update the work-log of the project with what was done and why. If applicable, update the documentation as fast as possible.
Step 4: Review the week.
At the end of the week, review the weekly plan and the tasks completed. Note down the tasks that were done, in progress, and not done. Reflect on the progress made, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned. Use this reflection to plan the next week.
4. Additional Information:
The directory contains three templates specified in the procedure. The templates are: - template_goals.md - Template for goals - template_plan.md - Template for plans - template_weekly_plan.md - Template for weekly plans