Reignite your summer productivity with a mid-year project review

July 13th, 2017 by droptasksite

Summer is here, and over the next few weeks schools will be closing, the sun will (hopefully) be shining and you’ll be dreaming of being anywhere but your desk. If you’ve noticed a dip in your motivation, rest assured that you’re not alone. Research* shows that not only does productivity plummet by 20% during the summertime, but project turnaround time increases by a staggering 13%. Thankfully, with a little help from iMindMap, you can achieve peak productivity levels all summer long and make hay while the sun shines.

At the start of this year, you probably set yourself goals for the next 12 months. With over half of the year now behind you, the direction of your objectives is likely to have shifted. Why not take the opportunity of this slower summer period to check-in with your progress, rejig your priorities and fire up the pace again for a productive year ahead? Here’s how to create a mid-year project review with iMindMap…

Start by taking the time to reflect on your progress so far. Are there any projects that you’ve put off starting? Or, perhaps something is taking longer than you had first anticipated. Review your current situation by considering all the outstanding projects with which you’re involved. Think about each aspect, such as project goals, deadlines, current status and any tasks that may have slipped behind schedule.

iMindMap Ultimate’s Fast Capture View is a space for getting all this information out of your head and onto an infinite canvas. Forget formatting here, just quickly pour any details you have onto the canvas using snappy keywords. The free-form style of the Fast Capture View nurtures creativity and will trigger the motivation needed to kickstart the second half of your year.

Now you need to identify which of your projects are bearing fruit and which could be dead in the water. Perhaps some tasks are now obsolete due to circumstances beyond your control. Organise and sort your projects based on their status for a clear overview of your current priorities, and drop any dead weight that could be dragging you down.

iMindMap’s Brainstorm View is ideal for sorting and categorising your projects. In a quick click, move your earlier ideas from the Fast Capture View and transform them into sticky notes in the Brainstorm View. Click, drag and drop your sticky notes onto a mini-board based on their status. Group your projects together into clear progress areas, such as ‘obsolete’, ‘not yet started’, ‘in progress’ or ‘completed’. When you’re done, click the Clean Up button to instantly bring order to your canvas. You are already well on your way to a more organised and productive rest of the year.

With all your projects in order, you have a great starting point to develop refreshed project goals for the remainder of 2017. When you’re ready, switch from iMindMap’s Brainstorm View to the Mind Map View. You’ll be presented with a pre-structured Mind Map and from here you can really push your projects forward. Plan your next steps by developing your strategy using child branches that map out the finer details of your project. What steps do you need to take to hit your end of year target? By Mind Mapping your projects using only keywords, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed by your to-dos.

You can attach any supporting information that you may need to your Mind Map, such as files, audio, video, images and links. Your Attachments appear as icons until clicked, so your Mind Map maintains its clarity even when rich with resources. The visual overview of your project that your Mind Map provides will highlight gaps and pinpoint any loose ends that need extra attention. A Mind Map’s framework appeals to the creative curiosity of your brain; its radiating nature will spark fresh ideas and rejuvenate those projects that may have hit a wall.

Are you ready to set your refreshed projects back into action? Switch to iMindMap Ultimate’s Time Map View where your Mind Map’s branches become actionable tasks along a flexible timeline. The Time Map View will help you to create a clear and time-sensitive plan based on your deadlines and goals. The Current Time Indicator highlights any incomplete tasks and will stop projects falling behind schedule for the remainder of the year.

With just over five more months left of 2017, it’s important to maintain your motivation. Break your projects down into smaller, more achievable chunks using Milestones in the Time Map View. Group together related tasks and feel satisfied as you mark each milestone as complete. Before you know it, you’ll be wrapping up successful projects on time, having avoided feeling overwhelmed at any point along the way.

So, the temperature may be rising but your workplace productivity needn’t fall. This summer, take the perfect opportunity to fine-tune your priorities, reignite your motivation and get your projects back on track for the rest of the year.

Use iMindMap 10 Ultimate to fire up your projects this summer. Download the 7 day free trial today:

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*Research taken from officepulse.captivate.com.

 

Posted in iMindMap

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