The secret to getting that impossibly daunting project done!

Do you have lots of big ideas? And then feel a bit overwhelmed at how to actually make them happen? Oh me TOO! But here’s a tip that always, always works!

It’s all about Microactions!

Last week I met Cindy Gallop at a Wired for Wonder pre-event (more on that at the bottom). Have you heard of Cindy? She’s a totes amazing lady. One of her (many) ventures is If We Ran The World and because it’s based on a great way of getting impossibly BIG stuff done, I thought you’d like to know about it!

If We Ran The World is essentially a platform to turn people’s good intentions into action! Take a look at the video (go here and click on “how it works”) which explains it better than I can!

See that you start by putting in your answer to “If I ran the world, I would…”? That’s like your goal. Then you get asked to start simplifying that goal into Microactions : steps that are “small, simple and easy to do”.

So ‘If We Ran The World’ starts with your BIG daunting goal and then gets you to break it up into tiny things (Microactions) that you (or other people) can actually do. It’s a simple but super-clever thought process which totally works. And even better – YOU can use it on your own big projects and goals!

Six tips for using Microactions to get your project done

Here’s how to work with Microactions to get your own impossibly daunting project done!

1 Set a goal

Ok so this is super -obvious, but there’s a difference between having the idea of a project in your head and articulating it neatly as a goal. The ‘If We Ran The World’ platform limits goals to 140 characters. Try that for yours too!

2 Use Trello to keep track of your Microactions

I use Trello to keep track of my projects and Microactions. I’ve written before about Trello (here). It’s a very awesome tool. You should use it!

If you’re going to use Trello to keep track of your Mircoactions, start a new board for each project and then within that board have a list of Microactions.

Once you’ve started a Microaction you can move it to a new list (“Micro Actions in Progress”) and then when finished to a “Micro Actions Done” list. Oh gosh I love doing that last move! There’s nothing like that feeling of having completed stuff!

Trello’s also super-useful because you can use it store extra info about the Microactions such as notes, images, references etc. Hmm. I think you’ll love it!

3 Create good Microactions

The key to creating good Microactions is to make each one VERY small, simple and easy to do!

Ironically, when you start doing this it can feel quite HARD to come up with the Microactions! But you don’t need to work out all the Microations of a project at once! Just the first few, and you’ll soon get into the swing of it.

Creating Micro Actions is, itself, a Microaction! So your first Microaction on your project list might be working out your next 10 Micro Actions!

I’m starting a project about Insurance at the moment (Zzzzz!) and one of my first Microactions is getting the names of local small business Insurers. See, Microactions really are THAT small, simple and easy to do!

4 Order is not important

Don’t worry about listing your Microactions in any particular order! A good brain dump of Microactions is enough. Then just pick the ones to do in the order you feel like doing them!

5 Get people to help!

Lots of us have friends or family (or even employees!) that would like to help us on a project but we find it hard to allocate them useful things to do. YES?! Well, Microactions are the answer! Take a look at your list of Microactions  – many of them will be small and contained and can be easily done by anyone!

6 Keep your list of DONE Microactions

One of the reasons Microactions work so fabulously is that (because they are small and easy) we complete lots of them. Each completed item gives us a great sense of accomplishment (often bigger than the actual task!) which in turn gives us the energy to do more! Really! It snowballs! And that’s why lots of little tasks are always more motivating than a few big ones! Don’t believe me? Try it and see!

♡ YOU! ♡

Do you use Microactions? Do you use Trello? Got any tips for either that you’d like to share?!

Notes!

More on why Microactions work and this on how micro changes (making the bed!) can make your more effective! Plus this cute story of how a microaction helped someone get fit.

Wired for Wonder is a live event in Sydney and Melbourne. It brings together interesting speakers and an audience of storytellers, dreamers, doers, artists, musicians, technologists, writers, scientists all looking to learn, to grow, and to connect dots in different ways. So FABULOUS! I’m going! Fancy joining me?!

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