So, you’re staring down that project. The one that feels huge and that you don’t know where to start. The one that seems impossible the longer you look at it. It feels overwhelming and makes you incredibly stressed out.
If you have trouble tackling projects or managing individual tasks (I’ve got ADHD and task management is definitely a challenge for me), the good news is there’s a way to break your work down into manageable chunks. And the even better news is that you can often do it in less time than it takes to explain it.
Launching a successful project requires meticulous planning and execution. Rather than viewing a project as one mammoth task you need to break it down into smaller digestible tasks that can be efficiently tackled.
Creating an organized project plan with all key tasks mapped out is essential preparation. This article walks through a simple 4-step process to effectively break down a project into discrete tasks for smooth implementation
Step 1: Define Milestones
Start by identifying major project milestones. Milestones are significant events that mark major progress points along the project timeline.
Common milestones include:
- Project initiation
- Requirements gathering
- Design finalization
- Development stages
- Testing phases
- Training/change management
- Go-live
- Project closure
Define milestones at the highest level first. Resist getting into granular tasks at this point. Focus on the macro phases and deliverables.
For example a website redesign project could have milestones like
- Confirm project scope
- Map new sitemap and pages
- Wireframe key pages
- Design visual elements
- Develop new site
- Test site
- Transition content/go-live
- Post-launch review
List out your major milestones in chronological order. This creates a high-level project roadmap.
Step 2: Define Tasks Needed to Reach the Milestones
With milestones defined, break them down into specific tasks needed to complete each milestone.
Tasks are discrete work items that can be assigned to one person and completed independently. Verbs like create, build, test, document, or present often signify a task.
For each milestone, brainstorm what tangible tasks must happen to achieve it. For example, tasks for the website redesign could include:
- Create project charter
- Document business requirements
- Review competitor websites
- Confirm pages to redesign
- Create user personas
- Design homepage mockup
- Build contact form functionality
- Write new content/finalize copy
- Upload content to staging site
- Perform integration testing
- Update support documentation
- Train customer service on changes
Generate a comprehensive list of all tasks without omitting any steps. Having owners and due dates defined now also helps estimate timelines accurately.
Step 3: Put Those Tasks in the Right Order
With your tasks listed out, put them in proper sequential order under each milestone.
Identify predecessors and dependencies between tasks using arrows, columns, or numbering systems on your project plan. This prevents overlooking any prerequisites that could derail your schedule.
For instance, writing new website content depends on finalizing the sitemap and pages first. Reviewing competitor websites should happen before drafting designs.
Sequencing tasks in a logical order is crucial for efficiency. It also allows you to spot scheduling conflicts or resource constraints early.
Consider tools like Gantt charts or work breakdown structure diagrams to visualize task sequences and hierarchies.
Step 4: Add the Tasks to Your Calendar
The final step is transferring your tasks into a calendar or project management tool.
Scheduling tasks assigns ownership and timing. This level of detail enables executing the project plan systematically.
When adding tasks, remember to:
- Indicate task duration and dates
- Assign each task an owner
- Note predecessors and dependents
- Build in time cushions and lags as buffers
- Factor in resource availability and capacity
- Allow for review cycles and approvals
- Leave wiggle room for the unexpected!
Stay diligent about updating your calendar as tasks get finished or shifted. This maintains an accurate, up-to-date view of project progress and upcoming priorities.
Key Benefits of Breaking Down Projects
There are many advantages to decomposing projects into discrete tasks:
Improves Focus
With responsibility narrowly defined, team members can devote full attention to their component. This increases productivity, accuracy, and quality.
Enables Specialization
Matching tasks to the right specialists leverages individuals’ expertise. This enhances outcomes.
Provides Visibility
A detailed task list supplies a transparent view of workload, timelines, and resourcing needs to stakeholders and management.
Facilitates Accountability
When individuals have clearly articulated assignments, it’s easy to track progress and hold people accountable.
Simplifies Monitoring
Checking off tasks offers a measurable way to monitor advancement and flag problems early.
Reduces Overwhelm
Tackling “bite-sized” work items seems more manageable than a vague, giant deliverable.
Allows Contingency Planning
With discrete units, changes, risks, and resource issues can be addressed on a task level.
Enables Continuous Improvement
Lessons from completing each task feed into enhancing subsequent plans.
Boosts Collaboration
Seeing how their work fits into the broader project helps team members support each other.
Creates Flexibility
Tasks can more easily be rearranged, added, removed, or modified as needs change.
Tips for Breaking Down Projects Effectively
Follow these tips for expertly decomposing projects:
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Involve key team members in planning tasks to tap their expertise.
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Use tools like workflows, diagrams, templates, or calendars to map out tasks visually.
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Identify natural break points in work for milestones.
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Define tasks at a granular level for clarity.
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Assign each task a single owner and deadline.
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Confirm prerequisites and dependencies between tasks.
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Build in reasonable buffers and lags.
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Reflect on past projects to improve your task planning.
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Set reminders to re-evaluate your task plan often.
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Share the plan across the team and stakeholders for input.
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Celebrate hitting milestones before moving onto the next phase.
Final Tips
The upfront work of meticulously planning tasks is a wise investment that pays dividends during execution. Breaking an intimidating project down into incremental building blocks is the key first step in completing any project efficiently, on-time, and with excellence. Use these steps to map out your next project plan and propel successful delivery.
Frequency of Entities:
tasks: 23
project: 16
milestones: 7
plan: 5
team: 4
work: 3
order: 3
dependencies: 3
5 steps to break down work into bite-size pieces
- Look at the big picture. Start by thinking about your overall project or a task. (A project is a series of linked tasks.) Write down the basic information: When it’s due, what you need to deliver, who needs to see it, etc.
- Then, think small. Identify the steps or subtasks involved in getting the task done. (Try imagining an assembly line of things that need to happen to get to the finished product.) Write down each step.
- Review each step. See if it can be broken down even further and add any new subtasks to the list.
- Make the steps specific. Instead of “meet with the team,” write, “meet with the team to brainstorm a plan B in case this approach doesn’t work.” Include details like “schedule meeting with the team.”
- Factor in other people. Think about whether the task or any of the steps relies on other people or requires approval or input. Make a note where that’s the case.
Up next: Turning the pieces into a plan
Once you have all the steps broken out, think about how much time you’ll need to get each step done. Then you can give each step a due date and add detail to the steps. Here’s an example of what that might look like.
Say you have a report due on April 14. This report will need a chart and a written evaluation. You’re tasked with writing the evaluation and gathering the information for the chart. Your co-worker Bethany is in charge of designing the chart.
So you go through the steps above and end up with this:
Project: Quarterly sales report. Due April 14. Bethany to design. Presentation date: April 18.
Needed: Chart
- Gather and send quarterly sales numbers to Bethany (April 3)
- Schedule first check-in with Bethany (April 3)
Needed: Written evaluation
- Research last quarter’s sales numbers (April 5)
–What worked and what didn’t?
–What sold best? Worst?
–What measures are changing next quarter?
- Write first draft (April 11)
- Edit first draft (April 12)
- Finish second draft (April 13)
- Format with chart (April 13)
- Send report to sales team (April 14)
As you go, don’t be afraid to cut tasks into smaller subtasks if that would help. You can also combine tasks that go well together. The point is to give yourself small pieces of work that you can easily make sense of and address.
The ability to get through tasks and projects requires a set of skills called executive function. These skills include focus, planning, and organization. Many people struggle with executive function. That includes most people with ADHD.
- Give yourself small pieces of work to make task management and work projects easier to tackle.
- Getting through tasks and projects requires skills known as executive function.
- Lots of people struggle with these skills, especially people with ADHD.
How to Break Down Big Projects
How do you break a project into smaller tasks?
The first step toward breaking a project into smaller tasks is to review the details of the project, including its directions and the key elements you aim to complete. Once you understand the project in its entirety, you can begin making a list of steps that require completion.
How do you break down a project?
Consider following these tips to make breaking down tasks easier and more efficient: You might consider thinking about the ultimate goal of the project and working from the end to the beginning to determine your steps. This might help you determine steps you may not have thought of yet.
How do you break a big task into smaller tasks?
The first step toward breaking a big task into smaller tasks is identifying what you want to accomplish long term. To determine the ultimate goal, consider the objectives and desired results that you want to achieve by the end of the project.
Why is it important to break down projects into tasks?
Whether you are working on a school project, have a deadline at work or are aiming to finish a personal project, breaking down tasks can help ensure efficiency. In this article, we describe why it’s important to break projects into tasks, show you how to do it in five steps and provide you with a few tips on breaking down projects into tasks.
