Are you a multi-passionate or running a multi-facited business? Do you have a side hustle or work on your business full-time but want to start something new? Yes? Perfect. This one’s for you! Plus, now I know I’m not completely alone. The past 3 weeks, I’ve had multiple projects going on from design clients to revamping my own personal website to creating a sister brand for a template shop + starting to take on another freelance project. As much as I want to say that it’s been extremely chaotic + the most stressful time in my life (which there’s definitely been chaos + stress) it really hasn’t been that bad. So I wanted to share how I’ve made it through and my tips on how to work on multiple projects at once. 

1 | Set project priorities

You have define which project will always/mostly take priority and where each project stands. It’s easy to get sidetracked when you have multiple projects going on and the last thing you want to do is put a major project on the back burner (espeically accidently). 

Personally, Dragonfly Ave + my design work is my top priority. Growing + getting clients will come first because that’s where my money comes from. That’s how I’m able to sustain myself + every other project, at least until those start making revenue. Since my focus is growing Dragonfly Ave, I have to make sure that everything there is happening + done first before moving on. After Dragonfly Ave, it’s the new sister brand MVW and it’s templates than another side project that I’m only in the very beginning stages of. That tells me what + how much time I need/should be allocating to each project. Now, if everything is running smoothly with Dragonfly Ave + I don’t have to worry about it, then I can shift my focus and work on my other side projects. 

So, determine which project or business is your biggest priority and then how the other project(s) line up after that. It will keep you on track, less stressed + more focused on your priorities (because you actually know what they are). 

2 | Set realistic timeframes

This one is extremely important! You have to set realistic timeframes. Whether it’s how long your side project will take to actually launch or to generate sales or to grow. Remember, things always take longer than you want so give yourself a buffer of time. 

Now, I’ll be honest and say this is by far the hardest for me to follow. I’m impaitent + tend to daydream that things will happen overnight – even though I know that it doesn’t work like that. I’ve learned to put a certain amount of time aside but also know that it may very much change. Things may take longer, priorities may shift, things could come up and I may have spent absolutely zero time on my other project that day or week. Although I may not like it, I know it’s still going to be okay. 

So set realistic timeframes, know that your side project may take way longer than expected + be ready and okay to adjust your timeframe. As the business owner, you’re in charge of it. If you’re able to do more to hit your side project goals, do it. If not, don’t let it stress you out. 

3 | Give yourself grace

Coming off the topic of realistic timeframes + potentially have to readjust, it’s a good time to talk about giving yourself grace. When you’re juggling a lot, you’re well, juggling a lot. You’re doing the best you can with what you have so let that sink in and be proud of yourself. If you start getting into a negative mindset (which I spiral down all too often) it just hurts your work and more often than not, just stops you from moving forward. I’ve been there multiple times, so I know that from personal experience, it sucks. And more than that, negative thoughts just make you feel horrible about yourself and that does nothing for you. 

So learn to give yourself grace. Life happens. Things come up. Priorities change. Timeframes change. You can either be mad or stressed or frustrated about it or you can take it with a grain of salt, know you did your best, adjust + keep going. 

4 | Batch work Projects

Batch work can be a real game changer. Essentially batch work is just when you do all of one type of work at once. Doing this can be helpful (if you have the time). You can split up the type of work you need to do for each stage of your project, from marketing to website to content or project development, etc. and focus on each one individually for a larger amount of time. If you have the weekends free, you can focus on completing one task the entire weekend. Batching your work allows you to focus and get things done. 

The thing I love the most about batch work is that I can cross something off my list completely + then forget about it. I do my best to schedule batch days (which sometimes do get shifted around) and tasks so I don’t worry about when a task will get done. My productivity + focus increases tremendously. 

5 | Simplify, eliminate + delegate

Simpliciy is hard to achieve. I’m in major stages of decluttering and refining everything in my life, from what’s in my house to what I use in my business to what I do. But when you’re working on multiple projects, simplicity is key. You have to focus on what you really need, what’s really important + eliminate the rest. This not only keeps things running smoothly, saves you a ton of time (+ money) but also relieves stress. 

If you’re at a point where you’re able to: also consider what tasks you can delegate. Then delegate. Focus on what you do best + give the rest to someone else. 

6 | Make your projects work for each other

You may feel like you need to keep each project independant from each other: don’t. Make your projects work for each other and see how they can cross market each other. It can be content for your blog, photography, a place to add your business cards, new ways to network, etc. Try and find how each of your projects can help each other grow. 

Look, running multiple projects and trying to do all the things, is hard. It can take a toll, increase your stress levels, burn you out, etc. But they don’t have to. As the one making the choice to run multiple projects, you have control over how you handle them. I’ve slowly + imperfectly learned how to work on multiple projects at once and let me tell you, I’m not always 100% perfect. I still struggle, miss goals, stressout and wonder why I’m doing this. But, at the end of the day – it’s because I want to. There’s other things I want to try + they might fail. That’s okay. It keeps me creative + growing. These 6 tips are the best pieces of advice, that I can give, on how to work on multple projects at once and I hope they you!

LEAVE A COMMENT! What tip on how to work on multiple projects at once was the biggest game changer for you?