Hasta La Ideas

Taking a break mid-way through a large project to review what you’ve already accomplished can often help you to reach your end goal more smoothly and efficiently. Whether you’re working on a project at work (planning a conference, putting together a proposal) or one at home (uncluttering your kitchen, organizing your garage), the same techniques for creating a status report can be beneficial.

You don’t need to fill out a form or write anything down — although your manager might appreciate a written status report in a workplace setting — simply ask yourself these questions:

1. What have I achieved so far?
2. What unforeseen problems did I encounter?
3. What delayed my work?
4. What helped to advance my work?
5. What would I do differently?

The answers you have for these five questions can help you to determine:

• What problems you might continue to face as you work,
• if your deadline is achievable, and
• if you need to create new action items.

Identifying what you have achieved mid-way through your work can also give you motivation to keep plugging away on your project to reach your goal. It’s easy to feel like you haven’t achieved anything when you’re stuck in the middle of your work, so taking a break can give you the perspective you need to keep going.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.