How Many Projects are Too Many?

[Bassat]

As I never seem to finish anything, my wife has ceased giving me 'projects' to do. Projects are just too involved for me. Instead, she gives me 'tasks', which are bite-sized little things she would like me to do... relatively soon. Example: Paint the living room is a 'project' involving several simple 'tasks'. One weekend my task may be to patch the holes (she put) in the wall. Simple. Mud, knife, sandpaper... done. Oh, she has tried (for 38 years) to get me to do 'projects'. Refinish the trim in our bathroom was one of them. I took it all down in 2008, and stacked it on the bench in the garage. It still had the original nails in it, and was still laying on the work-bench when we sold that house in 2020. I did get one of her projects done in a timely manner. She wanted two pot-lights in the living room replaced with ceiling fans. I called an electrician. Done in one day!

 

[STFU]

Just spent 30 minutes arranging my Gun Kanban Board. I have . . . a lot going on.

How many is too many projects? Asking for a friend.

What is your project flow rate? One per month? Don't add any until one moves across the board? What do you guys do?

I have made my living as a Program Manager (PMP since 2006): IT consulting to the Federal Government (both Fed Civ and DoD).
Granted, some tools are better suited to certain types of projects, but in general, the tracking method you use is irrelevant as long as it works for you and your team.

I have always equated project management like the guy at a circus spinning plates on sticks.
Some plates need a wiggle more often than others. Some seem to just keep spinning on their own without too much stick wiggling.
(Keep it clean guys.)

To answer the question: How many plates are you comfortable spinning at the same time?
If you spin too many at once, one will eventually fall.

 

[JTKelly]

Thought I was caught up at the lead foundry and then I found another bucket of wheel weights yesterday when I was cleaning up empty buckets.

 

[JTKelly]

I ran about a 75 pound bucket of wheel weights today thought this stove I built. That is three bucket I've processed with it now and couldn't be happier with use of it. Really super easy to control the heat. Took me about 2 hours to do it all. Worst is how much scrap you get out of ww with the steel and zinc. I could hardly lift the bucket out of the wagon to get started but I easily lifted all the finished "cookies" at once to put them back. The bucket of trash to go back to recycling felt heavier than what I got to keep.

But I should be set for a couple of years for wheel weights. I only use them to harden up certain bullets running higher velocities.

 

[BigMoose]

Maybe Im weird, I pick one thing and work it to completion before even thinking something else up.

 

[JTKelly]

I'm thinking about building a post and beam barn / greenhouse. Cut the lumber out of my own trees and cover the south facing side with those clear barn panels. At least enough to put a roof on it first and see how it goes from there.

 

[Colt556]

It would be a project just to figure out how many projects I have going on at any one time. Between guns, building models and trying to get rid of all the car parts I’ll never use I can’t seem to finish anything.
I was elected King of the Procrastinators Society a while back but didn’t make it to the Coronation.