How do you manage time for new projects?

Life gets complicated.

Last week, just when I had a handle on my work schedule and priorities, confusion struck again. I had created a schedule with two or three hours of writing first thing each morning. I might take a small break to make coffee but otherwise I would write full out during that period. This schedule allowed me to prepare the nine or so blog posts that I need each week. It also left time for other tasks like checking email, reading and commenting on blogs and studying the two courses I purchased but was making slow progress in mastering.

New commitment takes me into the unknown.

I was doing fine with the routine but then I added a complication. I committed myself to give a speech and that non-routine event changed everything. The speech was an unknown quantity. I wasn’t sure how much material to include and how long to speak. I had to prepare a paper and slides on Social Media for Businesses, a topic where I am not an expert but my audience knows virtually nothing. There was lots of judgment required and many unknowns. I could take this task in many direction and could go deep or shallow. In this sort of task, I lose control easily. The work expands to fill any time available and I get lost in the possibilities.

Dithering wastes time.

With this kind of task, for me the best method is to make a decision about scope, content and time and just do it. Instead, I dithered. Originally, I planned to complete the paper and slides over the weekend. I got started but because I still was uncertain about what I really wanted to do, I held off on completing those tasks. The weekend was over and my speech was only half done. Now I had my regular commitments and I still had to complete the speech materials. It threw my whole week into chaos and I am still recovering from the damage.

Improving the old routine.

This week I am trying to repair the damage and get my self back on schedule but it leaves me with a big question. The speech was important. It was one of what I hope will be many initiatives to push myself into new territory, create new expertise and move me to my goal of making an income based upon my web activities. I know that I must continue with my commitment to my blog. I also know that I must improve my marketing efforts and develop products for my niche. My problem is managing an existing process and at the same time moving forward to do new things. As I add unfamiliar tasks and new initiatives to my work schedule, I have to learn how to control those efforts; to maintain a focus on my regular activities and limit my time investment for the new ones. I don’t know how to do this. It isn’t anything that I have learned to be good at. I can’t afford to lose control of my time while taking on new directions but I also can’t afford to stop learning and growing.

Can you help?

So I am asking for help from readers. How do you manage new tasks? What do you do to get past the many decisions where you have limited knowledge and keep moving. How do you control the amount of time you invest when you can’t know how long a task might really take. Finally how do you manage to keep new tasks on your schedule so that you never fall back into a complacent routine. Take a minute and share. It will certainly help me but very likely will help others as well.