One of the biggest causes of overwhelm is managing multiple projects at the same time. But there is hardly a business owner or freelancer who doesn’t have to work this way at least some of the time.

So how do you manage multiple projects without feeling completely overwhelmed?

First, don’t multitask since this contributes more to stress. Instead, give each project the time it needs every day in order to make progress.

Let’s say you have three projects: A, B, and C.

Set a time limit, such as an hour, for each:

• 1 hour for Project A
• 1 hour for Project B
• 1 hour for Project C

Setting aside daily time for each project in a balanced way prevents one from taking over your whole day and prevents you from getting anything done on the others.

It also helps you maintain control over your daily schedule and ensures the other things you must do get done as well.

Now, consider: Does each project need an hour? Does a certain project need more?

You can then adjust these time boxes accordingly. You might set aside more time for a project that’s bigger or has a closer deadline.

If you’re not sure, you can just give each project the same amount of daily time. When you approach the deadline of the first, you’ll at least have a sense of how far you’ve come and how far you need to go. 

If you have more projects coming down the line, you can fix your schedule and plan ahead. 

For example, if a project is slated to start Friday, you can block out time starting Friday to give it that bit of daily time it needs. 

Try this strategy and see if it works!