majiayu000 Project Orchestration
Manage many projects without losing your mind.
Core Philosophy
The Reality of Creative Work
- Projects exist in various states simultaneously
- Energy and attention fluctuate
- Context-switching has real costs
- Not everything can move forward at once
- Done is better than perfect
Orchestration vs Management
| Traditional PM | Personal Orchestration |
|---|---|
| Timelines and deadlines | Energy and momentum |
| Resource allocation | Attention allocation |
| Status reporting | Progress awareness |
| Team coordination | Self-coordination |
| External accountability | Internal systems |
Project States
The State Model
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ACTIVE │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Primary │ │Secondary│ │ Support │ │
│ │ (1-2) │ │ (2-3) │ │ (many) │ │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
▲ │
│ ▼
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ WAITING │ │ DORMANT │
│ (blocked) │ │ (paused) │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
▲ │
│ ▼
│ ┌─────────────┐
└────────────────────│ ARCHIVED │
│ (complete) │
└─────────────┘
State Definitions
| State | Definition | Attention |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Active daily work | Deep focus |
| Secondary | Regular progress | Scheduled time |
| Support | Maintenance mode | As needed |
| Waiting | Blocked on external | Check-in only |
| Dormant | Intentionally paused | Monthly review |
| Archived | Complete or abandoned | None |
Capacity Guidelines
- Primary: 1-2 projects max
- Secondary: 2-3 projects
- Support: No limit (but be honest)
- Total active attention: 5-7 projects
Weekly Rhythm
Weekly Review (30-60 min)
1. CLEAR (15 min)
- Process inbox
- Update project statuses
- Log completions
2. REFLECT (15 min)
- What moved forward?
- What's stuck?
- What drained vs energized?
3. DECIDE (15 min)
- Primary focus for next week
- Must-do items
- Might-do if energy allows
4. PREPARE (15 min)
- Next actions are clear
- Blocks identified
- Environment ready
Daily Check-in (5 min)
Morning:
- What's the ONE thing today?
- What state am I in? (energy/focus)
- What might derail me?
Evening:
- Did the thing happen?
- What surprised me?
- Tomorrow's one thing?
Project Tracking
Minimum Viable Tracking
For each project, know:
## [Project Name]
**State**: [Primary/Secondary/Support/Waiting/Dormant]
**One-liner**: What is this?
**Next Action**: The very next physical action
**Waiting For**: (if blocked) What/who/when
**Last Touched**: [Date]
Project Dashboard
| Project | State | Next Action | Blocked? | Last Touched |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | Primary | [Action] | No | Today |
| [Name] | Secondary | [Action] | Yes: [reason] | 3 days ago |
| [Name] | Dormant | - | - | 2 weeks ago |
Progress Indicators
Simple traffic light:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 🟢 | Moving, on track |
| 🟡 | Slow, needs attention |
| 🔴 | Stuck, needs intervention |
| ⚪ | Intentionally paused |
Energy Management
Energy States
| State | Suitable Work |
|---|---|
| High Focus | Complex creative work, writing, coding |
| Medium Focus | Editing, planning, correspondence |
| Low Focus | Admin, organizing, routine tasks |
| Recovery | Rest, input, inspiration |
Matching Work to Energy
Don't fight your energy. Match work to state.
High Energy → Primary project deep work
Medium Energy → Secondary project progress
Low Energy → Support tasks, admin
No Energy → Rest or quit for the day
Energy Recovery
- Physical: Movement, sleep, nutrition
- Mental: Different modality (visual vs verbal)
- Creative: Input (reading, watching, listening)
- Social: Connection or solitude (know yourself)
Stuck Points
Common Blocks
| Block | Signal | Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Unclear next action | Avoiding project | Define smallest step |
| Fear of failure | Procrastination | Lower stakes, draft mode |
| Perfectionism | Endless revision | Ship deadline |
| Overwhelm | Paralysis | Reduce scope |
| Boredom | No progress | Find the interesting part |
| External dependency | Waiting | Follow up or route around |
Unsticking Protocol
1. Name the block (what specifically is stuck?)
2. Identify the feeling (fear? confusion? boredom?)
3. Find the smallest action (2-minute version)
4. Do that action now
5. Reassess
When to Pause vs Push
Pause when:
- Consistent dread over multiple days
- Other projects urgently need attention
- External factors make progress impossible
- You've lost the thread entirely
Push when:
- Resistance is fear-based
- You're close to a milestone
- The project has external commitments
- Pausing would create more problems
Multi-Project Coordination
Context Switching Protocol
Ending a work session:
1. Write down exactly where you are
2. Note the next action
3. Leave breadcrumbs (comments, notes)
4. Mental "close" ritual
Starting a work session:
1. Read your previous notes
2. Review recent work (5 min)
3. Start with smallest action
4. Build momentum before diving deep
Interleaving Strategies
Time blocking: Dedicate days/half-days to projects
Mon: Project A (Primary)
Tue: Project A (Primary)
Wed: Project B (Secondary)
Thu: Project A (Primary)
Fri: Admin + Secondary projects
Energy blocking: Match projects to energy patterns
Morning (high focus): Primary project
Afternoon (medium): Secondary projects
Evening (low): Support tasks
Theme days: Group similar work
Mon: Deep creative work
Tue: Communication + meetings
Wed: Deep creative work
Thu: Learning + input
Fri: Admin + planning
Project Lifecycle
Starting a Project
1. Capture the spark (what excites you?)
2. Define done (what does completion look like?)
3. Identify first milestone (what's the first "win"?)
4. List knowns and unknowns
5. Determine initial state (Primary? Secondary?)
6. Set review date
Maintaining a Project
Regular questions:
- Is this still worth doing?
- Is the scope still right?
- Am I the right person?
- Is the timing still right?
Ending a Project
Completion:
- Define "done enough"
- Ship/publish/deliver
- Capture lessons learned
- Archive materials
- Celebrate
Abandonment (equally valid):
- Acknowledge the decision
- Extract any reusable parts
- Note why it didn't work
- Archive without guilt
- Free the mental space
Tooling Principles
Tool Requirements
Must have:
- Quick capture
- Easy status view
- Friction-free update
- Works when you're tired
Nice to have:
- Cross-device sync
- Search
- Relationships between projects
Avoid:
- Complex setup
- Maintenance burden
- Tool becomes the project
Recommended Approaches
Minimal: Text file per project + master index Light: Single notes app with tags Medium: Notion/Obsidian with simple database Heavy: Full PM tool (only if you actually use it)
References
references/review-templates.md- Weekly/monthly/quarterly review templatesreferences/stuck-interventions.md- Detailed unsticking strategies