If you have multiple deadlines and you're feeling stressed, you're not alone. Many content developers face this challenge every day. But how can you cope with it without sacrificing your quality, creativity, and well-being? Here are some tips to help you manage your deadlines and stress levels.
The first step is to identify which tasks are the most urgent and important, and which ones can be postponed or delegated. You can use a simple matrix to categorize your tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, and neither urgent nor important. Focus on the tasks in the first quadrant, and try to eliminate or reduce the ones in the last quadrant. For the tasks in the middle two quadrants, you can either schedule them for later or ask for help from others.
This is one tight corner no one wants to be in, but again, life happens, and we often find ourselves in this position. One of the best ways to go about this is to start from the simplest, which is not biting more than you can chew. Know when to stop so you don't accept more jobs than you can deliver. But, if it happens that you are in that position already, then prioritizing becomes important. Start from the most important to the least, and make out a daily or weekly execution plan. That way, you can stay within the time you've set out. Most importantly, if you are beginning to get overwhelmed, do well to always delegate to others to reduce the workload. Your mental health is real, and you have a huge role to play in it.
Getting stressed is absolutely common and natural. Let's start with that premise. Setting realistic targets and deadlines is crucial since we live in world that wants everything asap. Understanding where your stress comes from can actually help you manage it very effectively. It can come from the nature of work, tight deadlines, micromanagement, even unrealistic expectations from yourself. I get stressed because of deadlines. I enjoy my work. So, after 2 to 3 hours of working when I feel overwhelmed, I meditate for 20 minutes and that grounds me in my work since I work at my optimal speed when I am oblivious to the deadline. Understanding your relationship with deadlines is important. Deadlines might drive some while slow down some.
I follow three simple step to deadlines: 1. Negotiate the deadline - if you have ten tasks in front of you with the same deadline, it'll never happen. So look at those tasks with deadlines that can be negotiated (and provide timelines when you do). 2. Don't jump around - start early with one task, finish it, then move on to the next. DO NOT MULTITASK. You will only end up getting burnt out. 3. Assign a timeline per task - creating an intra-day calendar broken down into hours/minutes per task is a huge help. Put it slots for breaks and rests too. If it becomes too crowded to be completed within the day, go back to step 1.
Here are a few points that can come in handy while dealing with multiple deadlines 1. Making a priority list and consider the top 3 work 2. Delegation of rest of task to the right resources by giving them a brief and an internal timeline for review 3. Picking up the top 3 work and consider the 1 that needs inputs from other stakeholders. Once the task is shared with the stakeholders, pick the work that needs your individual attention. Switching off from your calendar notifications, phone and other devices will expedite the work and increase the productivity.
I used to teach my daughters- the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. I like to breakdown a large project into winnable modules. It allows me to maintain momentum and strive for completion.
The second step is to break down your large and complex projects into smaller and manageable chunks. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating. You can use a tool like a Gantt chart or a Kanban board to visualize your project timeline, milestones, and dependencies. Then, you can assign yourself specific and realistic deadlines for each chunk, and track your progress and achievements. Breaking down your projects will also help you estimate your workload and resources more accurately, and communicate your expectations and needs more clearly.
Kanban boards are a great way to help you organize your projects, set deadlines, and also break those deadlines down into smaller tasks. As a data professional I am usually delivering dashboards and analyses to my stakeholders. Even though that is the end goal is to deliver that output there are a lot of steps to get there such as pulling the data, validating the data (multiple times), building the visualizations, putting it all together into a nice story, peer reviews, management reviews, etc.
For any really big task or assignment, don't look at it as one huge thing. Instead, break it down into smaller, manageable steps or mini-tasks. Doing it this way makes it much less overwhelming. It allows you to focus on just one little part at a time, rather than having to think about the whole big thing at once. You can complete it step-by-step.
Breaking down complex projects into smaller tasks is a fundamental strategy in digital marketing, akin to segmenting a campaign for targeted impact. As a digital strategist, I leverage this approach to manage multifaceted advertising campaigns. By using tools like Gantt charts or Kanban boards, I can visualize and track each stage of a campaign, from initial market research to final analytics tracking and optimization. This method ensures that every element of the campaign is executed on schedule and is aligned with the overall marketing objectives, allowing for real-time adjustments based on data-driven insights.
Senior Project Engineer - TBM Tunnel at Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture
In order to keep track of the tasks and their progress, I break them down to steps/phases and I write them in a list on the white board in my office. I also write their deadlines, necessary resources and constraints. If I delegate some of the tasks, I also write their owner. As each step/phase is completed, I mark it on the board with a different colour, so that I know which is the next step in the progress of the task and can also estimate the percentage of the progress.
The third step is to plan your time wisely and efficiently. You can use a calendar or a planner to schedule your tasks and deadlines, and block out time for focused work, breaks, and other activities. You can also use a technique like the Pomodoro method to work in short bursts of 25 minutes, followed by 5-minute breaks. This will help you maintain your concentration, motivation, and energy levels. Planning your time will also help you avoid distractions, interruptions, and multitasking, which can harm your productivity and quality.
I live in my Outlook calendar! (Or, use whatever calendar tool works for you.) Deadlines get added immediately. From there, I work backwards to schedule time to complete all tasks. I like to use the time-blocking method to schedule out what tasks need to be completed and when. Everything that goes with a task stays grouped together and attached to my Outlook appointment for easy access, and I use the notes section to keep track of to do lists and progress. The other key piece I have found is to have clearly documented processes for task completion. In my role as a marketer, I use content calendars for the year to keep track of important pieces of information that need to be communicated to my stakeholders. This also helps prioritize.
Senior Project Engineer - TBM Tunnel at Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture
The best way to manage the time aspect of the tasks is to put them in a time schedule. I use Microsoft Project to create a simple time schedule with all the pending tasks with their milestones and deadlines. This schedule can have each step/phase of the task clearly marked with an assigned duration, necessary resources and dependency relationships with the other steps/phases or tasks. This schedule will show any time overruns and how these will affect the completion of the rest of the tasks.
Incorporating time management techniques like the Pomodoro method aligns perfectly with the analytical approach required in digital marketing strategies. As a digital strategist, I recognize the importance of structured time blocks for optimizing campaign performance. These focused intervals allow for deep work on complex tasks such as analytics tracking and ad optimization, ensuring that every minute is used effectively to drive measurable results. Efficient time planning also mirrors the precision needed in setting up and managing advertising campaigns, where every second counts in the fast-paced digital advertising space.
Time management is very critical in meeting your deadline and effectively managing your resources. 1. Spend time planning and scheduling your task based on your scale of preference. 2. Work on the most pressing task and not just on the simplest task. 3. Know when not to spend more time on a task than required and if there's a butle-neck that may consume more than required thinking time, move to the next. 4. Ask for help when needed, because if you push yourself too much, you may break. 5. Avoid working on many critical tasks at a time. Above all in the worse case scenario, it's better you have a task well done than to have two or more poorly done task.
The fourth step is to manage your stress effectively and proactively. You can use various strategies to cope with stress, such as breathing exercises, meditation, physical activity, hobbies, social support, and positive affirmations. You can also set boundaries and expectations with your clients, colleagues, and managers, and learn to say no to unrealistic or unnecessary demands. Managing your stress will help you protect your mental and physical health, and prevent burnout and fatigue.
Burnout and fatigue are for real. You need to define the way you can release your stress. It could be listening to music or just a power nap. I personally avoid talking to people as that drains my energy.
Make it a priority to get some exercise daily - even if it's just a 20–30-minute walk. Exercises like walking, jogging, stretches, or quick home workouts get your body moving. When you exercise, your brain releases natural mood-boosting chemicals called endorphins, which reduce stress and make you feel happier and more energetic. Watching a movie is also a relaxation technique that helps to calm your mind.
In the high-pressure world of advertising and marketing, managing stress is not just about personal well-being; it's a strategic necessity. Effective stress management ensures that digital marketing strategies are executed with a clear mind, fostering creativity and precision in analytics tracking. As a digital strategist, I understand the importance of maintaining mental agility to optimize campaigns and interpret data from platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads without the fog of stress. Setting realistic boundaries and expectations with clients is crucial for sustainable campaign management and optimization, preventing burnout and ensuring the quality of work remains high.
In today’s ever-changing world, the effects of stress can be felt and seen everywhere, and we must be proactive in managing our response to situations that can heighten our level of stress. What works for me is to discover myself - identify what situations likely cause me to feel stressed, visualize myself managing stress and replacing it with a peaceful response.
The fifth step is to review and improve your performance and processes regularly. You can use tools like feedback, self-evaluation, and analytics to assess your strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas for improvement. You can also use methods like reflection, learning, and experimentation to enhance your skills, knowledge, and creativity. Reviewing and improving will help you grow as a content developer, and adapt to changing needs and challenges.
Some of the things I find helpful is to 1) Review and and document your successes daily, weekly, monthly and yearly, 2) Make updates to your goals after each review. You may choose to keep things as they are or pivot based on your review, and 3) Continue to review, adjust as needed and celebrate along the way.
In the realm of digital marketing, regular performance reviews are not just beneficial; they're imperative for success. Leveraging analytics tracking and optimization through platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and GA4, I've seen firsthand how data can highlight the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. By continuously reviewing this data, content developers can refine their strategies, ensuring their content resonates with the target audience and aligns with the ever-evolving digital landscape. This iterative process is key to staying ahead in the competitive advertising and marketing industry.
The sixth and final step is to celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for your hard work. You can use various ways to acknowledge and appreciate your accomplishments, such as sharing your success stories, receiving recognition, giving yourself a treat, or taking a break. Celebrating your achievements will help you boost your confidence, satisfaction, and happiness, and motivate you to keep going and striving for excellence.
Be your own cheerleader. A lot of times we think that our achievements are not good enough to share. But, nothing is never too small to share. You make your own brand and that can only be done when you recognize your efforts. Being surrounded with the people who makes you happy is the best way to celebrate.
Celebrating achievements in the context of digital marketing strategies is as crucial as any other step in the campaign management process. It's an opportunity to analyze the success of various tactics, from the effectiveness of Google Ads to the engagement metrics of Facebook Ads. As a digital strategist, I recognize the importance of acknowledging milestones, not just for morale but also as a means to evaluate what strategies yielded the best ROI. This celebration is also a chance to reflect on the analytics, understanding which data-driven decisions propelled the campaign forward and how these insights can shape future strategies.
Don't bottle everything up inside. Talk to people close to you like trusted friends or family members about the challenges you're facing. Share your concerns. Getting advice, reassurance and different perspectives from loved ones provides emotional support. It reminds you that you don't have to deal with everything alone.
Le point le plus difficile pour moi est de ne pas être parasitée. On peut être multitaches lorsque celles-ci ne demandent pas d'effort de concentration. Mais lorsque l'on a besoin de se concentrer, le mieux est de s'isoler, autant que possible. Instaurer une routine ne fait pas rêver, mais cela permet aussi de gagner du temps.
In my experience, it is important to 1) Take a moment, step back for the tactical mindset and focus on your overall mission and vision. Then, 2) Think about your overall two to three major goals, and 3) prioritize your deadlines based on your goals you want to achieve. This is the zoom out to then zoom in approach!