I love organization. There is something about creating lists and checking off tasks that reduces my anxiety. I am a self-proclaimed Friends fanatic and have watched the series many times (I can quote almost any episode). While people laugh at Monica’s neurotic organizational behaviors, I feel inspired. It’s not just me— there’s evidence that task-oriented self-care can improve mental health. Carrie Barron, Director of the Creativity for Resilience Program at Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas, says that making lists fosters the mindset of prioritizing, which can make you feel proactive, grounded, calm, and clear.
Organization plays a key role in project management, which I believe led to my successes in the news industry— but it’s also what kept me sane. As a news producer, I supervised a team of reporters, production crew, anchors, etc. and tracked the completion of many deliverables in a very short amount of time — 8 hours to be exact. It is easy to lose track of the small details in a fast-paced environment, and when hundreds of thousands of people are watching your show each night, everything needs to be perfect. Plus, in an industry that generates high levels of stress and anxiety, having solid project management skills can be an asset to your mental health.
Finding New Project Management Tools: The Process
I am always looking for ways to improve my project management skills. Currently, I use Google Calendar and the Reminders App to organize my work and personal life. While these apps are sufficient, they are definitely lacking key functions. While researching project management tools, I primarily looked for something that would fit my needs as a working professional and a graduate student. A lot of the tools on the market employ methods that are clearly meant for larger operations, such as the Design Thinking Model. This method involves gaining an understanding of user behavior to create a better product, which I did not need because I am the only user. Ultimately, I chose the Kanban Method because it allows its users to create tasks and subtasks. I utilized this method in the online project management tool, Trello.
A big component of the Kanban Method is creating lists with the following categories: To-Do, Doing, Done. I do not care for this categorization because I feel it doesn’t allow its users to see the trajectory of an entire project. Instead, I created a board in Trello specifically for my ICM 501 class. I followed the 5-step process for planning a project, starting with Creating a Project Plan, which helped me see the trajectory of the project. I created lists and then added tasks, such as complete readings, write blog, watch videos, etc. Within those tasks, I created subtasks with due dates to help me keep track of my assignments each week. I also linked documents and my completed blog posts for each module.
The Results
Although I have only been using this new system for less than a week, I can already see the benefits. I feel more focused and aware of what I need to complete for my class. After creating my layout in Trello, I instantly breathed a sigh of relief. I am a visual person, so being able to see every task displayed across the screen is really helpful.
Works Cited
Bridges, Jennifer. “Project Planning Process: 5 Steps To Project Management Planning.” YouTube, ProjectManager, 11 Feb. 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do8iykQKMfU&feature=youtu.be.
Hastings, Pattie Belle. “Project Management Approaches.” YouTube, Quinnipiac University Graduate Programs, 11 Sept. 2018, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lssx0TNS7AQ&feature=youtu.be.
L, Jae. “The Intimate Relationship between Neurodivergence and List Making.” Medium, Medium, 13 Sept. 2022, jael999.medium.com/a-neurodivergent-love-affair-with-list-writing-3dad3fed69fb.
Allison Lucas 