Personal project management techniques

[Mariius]

Currently I am developing application for Android platform. The problem is, that I have very little amount of time and I program that project quite rarely. Because of this issue, sometimes it is not easy to catch up on what I have already done and what should be done / etc.

I have read (a little bit) about various project planning techniques, like agile, but never really used them. I would like to ask for your opinion on what kind of planning technique should be used for personal project management.

Any other tips are always welcomed. I am very grateful for your time, thanks!

[Paralectic]

You could use something like Trello (https://trello.com/)

[Mariius]

You could use something like Trello (https://trello.com/)

Trello is basically a board with virtual sticky notes. What I am looking for is technique for project management.

[Paralectic]

Trello is basically a board with virtual sticky notes. What I am looking for is technique for project management.

Visual Studio Dev without a doubt than.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

Charts man, I know it sounds lame but they are soooooooooooooooooooo helpful, especially for keeping track of what you've done and what you need to do.

[Mariius]

Guys, I am talking more about techniques, like agile, scrum or kanban.

[Dredgy]

Depends on the project., but it all comes down to mental discipline.

 

For things like school projects my technique was: figure out how much time it would take me to do and then just do it in that period of time before the deadline. So if the project would take me 2 hours to do, 2 hours before it's due I would start. Terrible way to do things in a work environment but it is effective because it leaves no time for procrastinating. .

 

When working now, my technique for actually getting things done is much more extreme and unhealthy.  In my case, this would involve cutting off my phone (actually from the provider, asking them to place a block on my service and not let me lift it until the deadline) and the Internet if the project I'm working doesn't require connectivity. Then I lock myself in a room or apartment with some food and don't leave until everything is done. Usually it's a few days of no sleep, little food, pacing around the room, swearing a lot and I also keep a tennis ball with me to throw/bounce/play with in times of unrest. I don't really recommend this method at all (my health is non-existant), but it works extremely effectively for me. You just have to resist distractions/desire to sleep.

 

For planning however, scope out EVERYTHING the client/you want to achieve and deadlines for each component and just work through it methodically. Have a Word document on a different screen so you can see what you're doing if you have a dual screen set up, but a plain old paper notepad works wonders for taking notes and documenting progress. Then you just force yourself to meet deadlines. Personal projects are hard because you often have little motivation and do it intermittently, but if you just FOCUS, you'll be alright. Takes some time to do.

 

COMMENT YOUR CODE. If you are having trouble coming back to a project after its stagnated, comment everywhere so you know what every little thing does. If you properly scope out your project beforehand and document as you go, you can just refer to these notes to see exactly where you were at before, what problems you were having and how you solved them. Writing out what you are thinking when you trying to solve a problem (phrase it as a question you are trying to get someone else to understand) can often help your comprehension. 

 

It differs person to person. I have to torture myself to get everything done (and I'm often done weeks or months before deadlines) but other people I work with even manage to have social lives and are naturally good at focusing. Find what works best for you. Though good planning, documentation and focus are usually what it takes.