Ask HN: How Do You Juggle Multiple Projects?
If you have a handful of projects you're interested in, do you cycle between them in increments- power through them in sequence, or approach them some other way?
I'm reflecting on how I approach my handful of projects; currently I change focus each day on a 4 day cycle between 4 different projects. While it feels like I'm maintaining 'multiple irons in the fire', it also feels like I'm spinning my wheels to some degree.
Reading second hand accounts of the corporate world on HN, the industry standard seems to be focusing on one thing at a time with dedicated teams - but I'm unsure if that's due to it being the best way to get the most out of a handful of workers with varied aptitudes and motivation levels - or if it's the best way for human minds to focus productive attention, hands down.
I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this topic, especially in the context of self employment.
Do you rotate to keep your motivation alive, or because of other reasons (e.g. let a topic simmer for a few days, so you get inspired / or reducing risks by gaining more information or knowledge over time)?
Because multitasking is the worst possible.
Let's say you want to finish A which lasts 5 units of time/effort, B which lasts 7, and C which is 6.
Compare Sequential vs Multitasking
123456789012345678
AAAAABBBBBBBCCCCCC
ABCABCABCABCABCBCC
Sequential: A done at 5, B done at 5+6=11, C done at 5+6+7=18
Multitasking: A done at 13, B done at 16, C done at 18.
And, that doesn't count the task switching costs.
So choosing multitasking only makes sense when you gain something by waiting, or have external constraints. In the context of self-employment, keeping your clients happy and calm with (the performance of) steady progress (even if it costs more than faster completion, if done in a more efficient way) may make it worth if you have to take multiple concurrent jobs at once, e.g. if you need to involve them in decision making that stall your progress.
I give myself permission to work on projects slowly. And I give myself permission to work on projects obsessively.
I give myself permission to start new projects on a whim. And I give myself permission to abandon projects.
The work is the reason I work on projects. The work itself is the project that matters. Not admiration of what I make. Not despair of it either.
My discipline requires remembering these things. I am working on my discipline. Good luck.
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Edits:
I give myself permission to work on small projects.
I give myself permission to work on projects solely for my own direct benefit.
I give myself permission to work on projects that make me happy.
I don’t do well with more than one focus. I stick with one project and focus at all times. There are plenty of things I’d like to do, but whenever I try I end up putting most of my effort in one and it takes over my mind even when I’m working on the other project.
Single threaded with Timesharing intervals if needed.
Yea, it's difficult. One project a day, I alternate.
I make games and write novels. I categorize my projects into two buckets.
1) Primary: I plan to take this all the way to the end and release it. 2) Exploratory: I like this project idea, but I know there is a ton to figure out, and I am not ready to fully commit.
I only allow myself to have 2 primary projects (1 game and 1 novel). Whenever I'm bored or stuck on my primary projects I dabble in N amount of exploratory projects. This allows me to not get overwhelmed when I go off chasing some other idea, and it allows me to not go all in on the exploratory projects.
Overtime I know what my next Primary project will be, because I have a stronger sense of what I need to do to get it done by dabbling in it previously.
If I paid people I would want them solely focused on finishing one project. Because once you hire them, their time really is money, and you will want to make that money back.