You have a daunting project and the deadline is looming. Or, even better, you’re paid by the project and the quicker you can put one project behind you and move on to another means more money in your pocket. What can you do to streamline your next project to meet your deadline and get on a more lucrative and productive path. Utilize these four steps and you’ll be on the streamlining path to productivity. Make a plan A surgeon doesn’t perform surgery without a plan, and you shouldn’t launch into a project (especially a big one) without first creating a plan. Take a look at the big picture and then make a plan from start to finish until you’ve figured out the best way to tackle the project. Some wise person said if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A plan creates a road map of success. Create a timeline Once you have a plan in place, which is really a list of all the tasks you have to do to complete the project, a timeline adds deadlines to the tasks. It’s easy to work backwards from the deadline to figure out how much time you need to complete the list of tasks. Creating a timeline lets everyone know when each task has to be completed. Assign a date to each task and review the dates and tasks as you work through the project. Be sure to include some cushion time in case a task takes you longer than you thought, or something unexpected occurs. Keep track of the progress Visit your plan often. Use it as a guideline to keep you on track. When you complete one task, mark it off and move on to the next task. If you’re missing deadlines, figure out ways to get back on track or try to figure out what’s prohibiting you from meeting deadlines, so you can hurdle the obstacles and reach the finish line. Have a back-up plan When you create your plan, always create a Plan B. Even the best made plans have problems. Anticipate potential problems during the planning phase and plan how to handle them. When these problems arise, you’re already prepared to deal with them and continue on the path to completing the project. Streamlining a project requires you to take control. Planning is the key to streamlining the project to reach the goal of finishing it, and finishing it on time. Make sure that once you have your plan in place that you follow it and stay on task. Follow these four ways to streamline your project and you’ll be done with it and on to the next one before you know it. Kristie Lorette is a freelance writer that specializes in helping businesses and entrepreneurs create copy that sizzles, motivates, and sells. She is also the editor of The Inky Dot, a bi-monthly e-newsletter that offers tips, tricks, and advice on writing and marketing tips for businesses. You can learn more about Kristie and subscribe to The Inky Dot at .studiokwriting.com.

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