{"id":12961,"date":"2021-05-18T08:54:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T12:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alifeofproductivity.com\/?p=12961"},"modified":"2022-09-01T01:23:28","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T01:23:28","slug":"which-of-your-projects-need-space-and-which-need-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrisbailey.com\/which-of-your-projects-need-space-and-which-need-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"Which of your projects need space, and which need focus?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Takeaway:<\/b>Divide your project list (if you keep one) by which of those projects require focus, space, or a combination of the two. This is a great way to briefly see what you\u2019re working on and what you should be both thinking about and focusing on. Estimated Reading Time:<\/b>1 minutes, 30s.<\/div><\/div>\n

\"Which<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are plenty of ways to organize your ongoing projects. I personally keep two files on my computer: one that lists my personal projects and another that lists my work projects. (A project is a level above a task on your to-do list: a collection of tasks that leads to some outcome).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Recently, my list has ballooned. To help, I\u2019ve started divvying up projects based on another dimension:\u00a0which ones require space, focus, or both<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We all have projects underway, some of which we\u2019re actively working on, others which are on the back burner. Active projects require focus, whereas back burner projects need\u00a0space<\/a>. This space allows us to unearth new insights, brainstorm solutions to impasses, and encounter related ideas as we go about doing other things.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Then there\u2019s the projects that benefit from\u00a0both\u00a0focus\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0space\u2014namely long-term projects. Writing a book is a good example of this: the only way to tackle a project like this is to hunker down and\u00a0write<\/em>, but a book also requires extensive and innovative thinking about an idea. Designing the blueprint to your eventual dream home is another example of a project that requires alternating periods of space and focus.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I highly recommend keeping a list (or lists!) of the projects you\u2019re working on, especially if you have a lot on the go. Then, do some thinking about which of these projects require focus, space, or both.\u00a0Be sure to review these lists every week\u00a0in order to\u00a0keep tabs on what you\u2019re focusing on and thinking about.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is one of my favorite tactics to quickly scan what\u2019s on my plate and do as David Allen\u00a0has written<\/a>: zoom out from my life to see it from 10,000 feet.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are a ton of ways to think about your projects. My new favorite: asking which ones need focus, space, or both.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12963,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhich of your projects need space, and which need focus? - Chris Bailey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/chrisbailey.com\/which-of-your-projects-need-space-and-which-need-focus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Which of your projects need space, and which need focus? - Chris Bailey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are a ton of ways to think about your projects. 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