I think each of us are, to some degree, we
all have similar needs, to some degree, as
academics we have certain projects that run
similar pathways, so to speak.
So I would definitely look at how it's been
done before.
Don't think you have to reinvent the wheel.
Consider looking at historical evidence, look
at project templates, talk to peers, talk
to (potentially) supervisors, etc, that have
done this before.
So that they can say ""hey, I used that tool"
or "this is how I actually did it before."
SO what we call that in the proejct management
world is expert judgement.
Look towards our peer group or look outside
of ourselves when we're planning.
And my other methodology is to think about
building a plan.
If you're working with the thesis or you're
working towards a goal, maybe it's a doctorat.
I would maybe backward engineer that a little
bit.
Look at what my end deliverable is.
And for some people it's different, for some
people it's "I want to walk across that stage
and receive that diploma in my hand."
And for some other people it's "I really would
like to change the world and I see how I am
going to change the world."
Whatever that is for you, I'd say look at
that first, and then take that beautiful mountain
of a vision and turn it into little, smaller
visions, and break it down into what we call
mole hills.
So take the mountain, break it down to a mole
hill.
And for those of us working towards a particular
long term goal, I like to at least backward
engineer it a little bit.
Because We don't have enough information to
be planning maybe two years in advance, but
just to have some tentative milestones in
place.
And then forward-looking, between two weeks,
a month to three months in terms of an actual
real world concrete plan.
So in terms of a methodology for building
that, we use what's called a Work Breakdown
Structure to help us build that.
But we also, and it sounds so complicated,
but really, you're just taking a project and
categorizing it into different compartaments
of mini projects that you can tackle one at
a time.
And this also gets through some of that state
of overwhelm we can sometimes feel when we
are looking at that big mountain that we're
going to be climbing.
The other methodology I would use would be
learn how to estimate duration properly.
Really take into account your physical start
point, your physical end point for the activity
at hand.
Not just the work effort related to doing
that activity.
And how I explain that is if you have to paint
a room, and maybe its only one wall.
Well, paint typically needs a few hours to
dry.
So if I said to myself, "I'm going to paint
this entire wall here, and its going to take
me one day".
That duration estimate is going to be a little
on the lean side.
Whereas if I give myself two days, I'm taking
into account more than just my work effort.
I'm actually taking into account the fact
that the paint has to dry.
So there are all these little things in our
day to day that add up.
And a lot of people feel like, when they're
using the methodology of planning, they're
not staying on top of their plan either because
their durations are a little lean, so I would
say 10 to 20 percent more than what you thought
you were going to do, especially if its a
project that you've never been involved in
before.
