"How can I manage five projects at once?" I often hear this question in different variations. It could be three, it could be ten… Multiple projects: five are enough.

There is a simple answer.
And I'm afraid that's completely obvious. But that doesn't make it any less valuable.

One after the other.

The human brain is not designed for multitasking, and if you try to do five things at once, you'll slow down and make more mistakes than necessary.

This gives you two approaches…
Either:
(a) First, find your top priority.
This is your most compelling case in terms of value, urgency, pressure, or some combination of these factors. Do it now. And repeat.
Or:
(b) Divide your week into large chunks.

Some people work in half days (10 per work week), others in four parts per day (2 per half day). I work from 5am to 9am, 9am to 1pm, and 2pm to 6pm. Divide parts of your five projects into these sections, making sure to find a balance that suits your priorities. Set clear goals for each work period and make sure you take a reasonable break between each section to recharge.

Treat yourself to something during your rest breaks: exercise, fresh air, daylight, water, food. This will help you maintain a high workload throughout your workday.

Monotasking
Multitasking doesn't work, but monotasking does. Option (a) is pure monotasking, while option (b) is what I call "serial monotasking." You can also think of it as wearing hats.

Multiple projects = multiple hats
As you manage each project, imagine you are wearing a different hat. One for each project. At the end of your recovery break, consciously visualize yourself switching from one hat to the other. This way, you will have mental clarity about what you are doing.

I use many other strategies…
And if you need to manage multiple projects and want to learn how to do it, you can.

I have summarized them all in an article on our website:
Secret Strategies to Manage Multiple Projects https://onlinepmcourses.com/manage-multiple-projects/
You may also like this video: How to manage multiple projects
https://youtu.be/FEU4tGuIgsc

A while ago I asked project managers in some forums what material things they needed for their work as project managers. The answers were great. I compiled their answers in a kit list.
https://kit.co/MikeClayton/what-a-project-manager-needs
Please note that the links are affiliate links.

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