NaNoWriMo -- How I Managed My Big Project

I’ll admit I am one of the more than 12,000 crazy (or some would say dedicated) people who cranked out 50,000-plus words in just 30 days for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. I tried to do it last year, but I got too distracted and just couldn’t pick up any steam.

What made the difference in 2006? Planning, breaking the big task into smaller ones and a whole lot of dedication. I started strong, spending the first weekend in November writing every free minute, which gave me some leeway when we hit the Thanksgiving holiday. Because I continued to hit my quota of 1,667 words a day (and often exceeded it), I was actually able to finish four days before the deadline of November 30 at 11:59 p.m.

When you’ve got a big project to do at work in a short amount of time, it’s natural to be overwhelmed and wonder how you’re going to get it all done. I think my NaNoWriMo lessons are applicable to any project. Just take it one step at a time, and you’ll get there.

For more advice on how to manage a big project, check out these resources:

• “Audio: Time Management”
  
• “Project-Planning Checklist”
  
• “Living for Deadlines”
  
• “Planning a Project” by Gerard M Blair

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