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Every time we encounter the phrase “project management”, the very first thought you might have is that only businesses undertake projects for managing their needs. In reality, time-bound activities can be dealt as a project, irrespective of size. A wedding, opening a small store in a city, renovating an old home or a dumped caravan are all projects. They all require planning, have limited time, have cost and have a deliverable or objective. So, if we consider some of our daily personal activities or blog work as projects, we can apply principles of project management to enable us to measure success in our life, derive personal satisfaction, have better blogs, be better planners, and happier human beings.
Top 10 useful tools for enhanced management and tracking of personal projects:
Basecamp
Tasks needing to be performed in a personal project can be properly listed through to-dos in Basecamp. These tasks can be assigned to different people participating in a project and can be checked off on their completion. It is so easy to view which activities happened in a project in a given time span. Relevant files and documents can be attached to threads. Important emails like bills can be forwarded to Basecamp, making it easy to search them from the heap of emails. Text documents help to track things which keep changing frequently with time like menus, gift cards, etc. Basecamp lacks time tracking, so it cannot be precisely known how much time was spent in executing various tasks in a project, which can be cruscial knowledge.
ProofHub
Personal projects can be smoothly managed with this online collaboration and project management tool. Important events like birthdays and anniversaries can be effectively planned and conducted as scheduled. People subscribed to events receive reminders in advance. Recurring events like get-togethers can be arranged on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. As tasks can be assigned to multiple people, so it becomes far easier to assign and distribute work among a group of family members or friends. This way everyone is clear about his respective tasks in a celebratory event. Labels like “in-progress”, “completed” and “high priority” can be assigned to the tasks, which helps to plan and track them in an easy manner. Deadlines can be set for tasks, so these can be performed in a time bound manner. Collaborators in a project can conveniently discuss matters concerning them. They can better share their views and ideas, and images. Any number o f people can be added as contacts into a project.
Asana
Asana allows creation of separate workspaces for personal and professional projects, making it great for organizing all types of projects. Have calls to make? A shopping list? Throw it all in a workspace or project. Each project has its own sharing controls, so you can have a party shopping list with your roommates while organizing a wedding party with your family. You can even make your projects public. The Asana mobile applications make it even more easier to access your shopping list on the go and your friends busy in other arrangements, can easily track activities within seconds.
Trello
Trello is great for personal use. It consist of boards comprising one or more named lists to keep track of all the tasks. Trello’s power lies in assigning multiple people to a board. Comments can be added to the cards, allowing discussions on various topics. This tool does not provide the chat feature that could have facilitated communication and collaboration among people, though.
Teamwork
Assigning tasks to collaborators involved in a personal project can be properly done with this tool. The priority for a specific task can be set and it can be known how much percentage of a task has been completed. Task reminders can be set. Recurring tasks can be created and tasks can be rendered private if required. Time spent over tasks can be recorded. Tasks can also be rescheduled. Collaborators participating in projects are able to communicate smoothly through messages. They can attach files. Improved task management and smoother communication enables successful accomplishment of personal projects.
Podio
People are able to collaborate on Podio over personal projects through workspaces which can be rendered open or private. Tasks can be better defined and assigned to concerned people. Reminders can be set to know if tasks have been completed within the defined time. Recurring, shared and personal tasks can be created. Files can be shared from any remote location. Distantly located collaborators have more clarity over tasks assigned to them. So they are able to execute their tasks within the limited time frame. This tool is quite useful for organized management over projects.
Wrike
The highlight of this project management tool is that tasks can be easily created from emails and can be discussed upon with ease. Priorities can be set for tasks and these can be executed in a scheduled manner. Progress achieved in a project can be precisely monitored in real time. So projects can be better organized and managed. Collaborators in personal projects are able to execute their assigned tasks in an orderly and scheduled manner. They can know the exact percentage of progress achieved in projects. This tool’s limitation is that it incurs a lot of time and effort in learning how to use it properly.
AtTask
Tasks can be better managed, organized and viewed at the same place through this task management software. Tasks and their due dates can be easily edited. Resources can be properly allocated to people in personal projects, so they do not get overloaded or underloaded with work. They are able to communicate smoothly. They can access documents from the same location and share them. Through feedback, they can be lauded for good work done by them. Reports help to keep everyone updated in projects without putting strain on the inbox. Time spent in projects and tasks can be accurately logged which enables accurate billing. The disadvantage of AtTask is that though users can comment on specific tasks, but there is no earmarked area solely for discussions.
Comindware
This work management software improves collaboration among people working together in projects. Messages, attachments and actions in a project can be arranged in a structured manner in group discussions. This improves organization over projects. It also has the mobile feature, so users can participate in discussions while on the go. So personal projects can be better organized, managed and executed. Users can readily share documents with each other.
Smartsheet
With this tool, personal projects can be effectively managed through simple task lists. People participating in such projects are able to attach files and set alerts. Due dates for tasks can be set. Tasks can be viewed and edited in calendar. Status details or brief notes can be added to tasks for more clarity over them. People participating in a personal project are able to collaborate in real time. Status of tasks can be viewed and updated even on the go through mobile app. The disadvantage of this tool is that it offers no solutions for time management.
In summary, on encountering the word project management, we naturally think that only businesses need to manage projects. In reality, big or small activities can be dealt as projects as they all require planning, got limited time, have cost, deliverable or objective associated with them. By considering our daily activities as projects, principles of project management can be applied on them. So we can be better planners and happier human beings. Project management tools like Basecamp, ProofHub Asana, Trello, Teamwork, Podio, Wrike, AtTask, Comindware and Smartsheet can be employed for improved management and precise tracking of personal projects.
What type do you use and recommend? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comment section.
Kanika is a freelance content writer who likes to delve deep into writing about technology tools. In her spare time she enjoys sketching, cooking, travelling and spending time with her family and folks.
Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
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Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools
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Top 10 Web-Based Personal Project Management Tools #bloggingtips
