Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started on Multiple Projects
Sometimes I choose violence and add another side project to my projects. If that sounds like you, tread carefully.
There are times when I work on a side project to accompany my current work. Hustling isn’t bad every now and then. Sometimes, it can inspire new ideas while you hone your skills.
But there are other times when I choose violence and add another side project to my set of projects. If that sounds like something you want to do, don’t.
You will regret it.
But if it can’t be helped because you need a diploma, a paycheck, or you just need to get it done, then look no further. As a college survivor and now corporate slave, I can give you some advice before you try to work on multiple projects at once.
For some added context before we delve into this mess, the projects I refer to here are all game development projects. These were all for school where we have to work in groups. I had to take on various and sometimes even multiple roles in each team to meet immediate deadlines.
One of them was for my first thesis, the other for a project management class, and the last was for a competition at the insistence of my professor. At the time, I had just a bit of experience in making games. No one in my class had actually made a proper game from start to finish following the standard game development cycle yet.
So I definitely did bite off more than I could chew, but I don’t exactly regret it. Here’s what I’ve learned from them.
1. Set your priorities straight
This is something I grasped rather late.
I tried to juggle my projects, academics, scholarship, and school organizations. Losing my scholarship because I couldn’t meet the required grade woke me up. I was tired and frustrated at myself for not being able to achieve what I set myself out to do. Later, I realized that I couldn’t make time for everything. I had to choose what was important to me.
It was ironic because I would tell my group mates about how important prioritizing crucial tasks are. Here I am working as the project manager, but I forgot to do it for myself. I was so focused on the details that I didn’t step back to see the bigger picture.
After much thought, I decided to not reapply for a scholarship and let go of some responsibilities. Enhancing my skills in game development was crucial if I wanted to work as a professional in the industry. On the flip side, wasting hours of my time shelving dusty books at the library for my required scholarship service hours was not how I was going to do that.
However, to say that it was an easy decision would be an understatement. I had to let go of a scholarship that covered half of my tuition.
Looking back, this was something I didn’t come to regret. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. But I wish I had tried to assess if taking more projects or work would be worth it earlier. By not doing this I was jumping in blindly, agreeing to all the extra load others had pushed me to do.
Something else I wish I had known in college was the Eisenhower matrix.
I’ve mentioned and gone more in-depth on what it is in my other article, but I wish that I knew this before. It would’ve saved me a lot of headaches trying to figure out how to prioritize everything.
In the end, I got out of college in one piece. But I think a demon must’ve possessed me in the process too, because I now have the uncanny skill to stake awake without needing coffee at all.
2. When in groups, do your best to work as a team
Something I’ve been practically programmed to do when a group mate is slacking off is to take on their work. After all, the project isn’t going to do itself. I wouldn’t just do this without telling them off beforehand, but it’s college.
There will always be couch potatoes, and you can’t always choose your teammates.
I get it. Grades and studying aren’t everyone’s top priorities. But school is expensive and it takes up so much of your time. So I’d rather not retake this class, you know?
There was a time when I couldn’t work as a project manager and a game programmer at the same time for a project. I wanted to take on both roles, because I was worried that we wouldn’t finish it on time. But I had two other games to attend to, and I couldn’t take any more load than I already had.
However, my group mates didn’t want me to give up being the project manager. I had experience in the role, and no one wanted to be the leader. Half of our grade depended on the manager’s performance more than the game itself, since the class was on project management.
I’d have to turn to one of my team members to make this work. I chose someone who was unsure of his role in the project. He didn’t specialize in any aspect of game development yet, nor did he have a clear preference of what he wanted to do. I also knew he was pretty new to programming, but he seemed interested enough.
The project was fairly simple, it was an infinite runner game with a few extra bells and whistles to make it stand out.
From there I broke down the features into manageable steps, introduced my team mate to some easy-to-follow programming tutorials, and would give him advice so that he wouldn’t feel too intimidated by it.
Eventually, he became more confident in his skills and took on all the programming work. He would be proud to share the features he’d done and I’d be equally ecstatic that our game is coming together.
My peers were shocked; they were expecting him to just slack off. But what truly surprised me was that he wanted to take on more programming roles in the future.
That was the moment I realized that before I ever go and say, “Fuck it, I’ll do it myself,” I should first try my best to work it out with my team. Making sure everyone is on the same page can be a lot easier than trying to do everything by yourself when you need to meet deadlines.
After this project, I understood that the groups in my classes were heavily influenced by their collective mindset. Just by being a more proactive leader, I had already set up my group for success. Giving a well-thought-out plan, delegating tasks fairly, and a dose of encouragement helps the team feel like they’re working with a clear purpose besides just passing the class.
The other project managers who weren’t as hands-on struggled to get their team to put in the work. I learned that people can do great things when given the right opportunities. This would’ve saved me a lot of headaches and sleepless nights from doing group work alone.
3. Don’t be afraid to take breaks
Out of the previous points I’ve mentioned, this is the most important one. What’s all of this hard work for if you work yourself to literal death? In the middle of my quest to get all of my projects done well and on time, I never had the time to stop and consider how I was faring.
Every day, I just felt like shit.
Despite studying game development, I didn’t play video games at all unless it was for school work. I was burnt out from games, and I was worried that I was wasting my time because my passion for it was dying. But I also felt like if I shifted courses now, it’d be too late. I was already in my third year into the four-year game development and design program.
So I carried on, hoping that I’d make it.
By some miracle, I completed all three of my projects. Each came out with varying levels of quality, but they were all done. When I finally had time to myself, I was at a loss. Suddenly all my weariness came crashing down on me.
The only times I’d be able to do something else was when it was for school. I no longer had the energy to rekindle any of my hobbies, socialize, and work on personal pursuits. I just ate food, and then later I would fall asleep with a phone in my hand.
With this in mind, I wish I allowed myself to take more breaks. In the past, I didn’t let myself relax. I always thought that I had to always be ready for when the project timeline doesn’t go as planned.
Not to mention, I should’ve tried to curb my phone habits. The only thing I did besides eating and sleeping in my free time would be to mindlessly scroll through social media.
I now have the attention span of a dog or worse, probably. I can’t even sit through a movie without wanting to get up and do something else instead.
With that said: take breaks.
Don’t just take breaks that involve scrolling through your phone. Take mindful ones when you can. Unwind and reflect on yourself to release all of your stress and come out stronger.
This article might put you off from multitasking, but I would still recommend you try it.
I’ve learned a lot from this experience. It has helped me grow into a much better person and game developer. However, if you can start with a more realistic yet challenging load, go for it.
Always remember to know your limits. Say no to things you know aren’t possible for you to take on. Don’t try to juggle everything until you get burnt out. The feeling of losing nearly all the passion for something I loved doing was devastating.
But if that doesn’t deter you, get some back-up.
Having reliable teammates can help give you that extra push to succeed. However if you’re determined to do a project on your own, find an accountability partner. They won’t be working with you on the project, but they’ll be the ones to check up on you to make sure that you take breaks and stay consistent.
Lastly and most importantly, learn to accept that things will not always be perfect. Your projects might be up to par with your expectations and that’s okay.
Finished is better than perfect.
If you spend all your time trying to make your work flawless, you may never finish it at all. Feeling unsatisfied still? You can always come back to it later when you’re better equipped. Or you can even start a new project that improves on what you’ve done previously. But even if you do these and still fail, that’s okay too. The important part is that you learned, and you were able to bring yourself a step further than before.
Life is a journey, not a race.
