At Recruiters Websites, long-term projects are kind of our thing. From digital strategies to website design and development, we’ve seen it all. And like any long-term project, we know that staying motivated for its entirety is a beast. 

Maintaining your motivation isn’t easy, but it is something that we're familiar with. Here are our six easy tips for keeping your cool.

Planning out your long-term projects

Long-term projects can take anywhere from a few months to years to complete. The standard website typically takes 12-15 weeks to complete from the kick-off call to launch. 

Planning helps with motivation because it allows you to set clear and precise goals. Without these guidelines, it's hard to remain focused, especially when you don't fully understand what you're doing or know how much is left to complete.

A long-term project should begin with planning. It's crucial to understand your goals, roles, deadlines and the amount of time each task should take. We like to use Monday.com for project management as well as collaboration. 

Planning when it comes to web design is usually separated into seven parts: kick-off, copy, design, design check-off, development, pre-launch and post-launch. We then break down each section into tasks with their respective deadlines and dependencies—that way, our developers know what it takes to finish each assignment.

Break up the workload

After planning, refine the tasks beneath each section. When our designers create your custom website, they break up the tasks into smaller pieces. The design stage comprises homepage design, sub-pages, design calls, feedback, proofing and revisions. Refining the tasks allows us to focus on what needs to be completed first before moving along to the next task, all the while being efficient. 

Feelings of inefficiency can often lead to burnout, so it's important to keep on track. 

Remember to take a breather

We know it’s easy to get overwhelmed during any project. Taking a step back to relax will help your mind calm down and help you ease back into a project. 

Taking a breather can be as small as taking a little snack break or an hour-long lunch. If that doesn't work, it might be time to put the project on the back burner for a day. Either way, limit an extended break by a day—any longer than that, you'll be procrastinating. 

It’s also okay to move around tasks if they are not dependent on one another. Our copywriters, for example, are responsible for several landing pages, subpages, homepage copy and even blogs. If they hit a wall with one subpage, they might take a break and jump to another subpage that’s easier to write until they’re ready to return to their previous task.

The same is true for proofing content. If you’re having difficulty reviewing a page, it can help to move to another. When you return to the first page, you may find that the feedback starts flowing much more easily.

Limit your distractions

No one is immune to distractions. If you're working on a computer all day like us, then you know your messages, emails and other notifications are constantly going off. And, if we're being honest, half our office is obsessed with Wordle.

Consider turning off your phone, using apps like AntiSocial to limit smartphone usage or downloading website blockers to stay on task.

We’re prone to standing around each other’s desks and chatting about day-to-day stuff, even in the office. Remember, it’s okay to take a breather but try to limit an extended break. 

Trust your teammates

No one understands you better than your coworkers. We're constantly piggy-backing off each other's ideas in the office. When you're stuck on a task, be sure to reach out for help when you need it. 

Copywriters, for example, are heavily dependent on their proofing team. When you read your work over and over again, you may become numb to the mistakes you make. Proofreaders are there to catch those mistakes and correct them before our team delivers the final product to clients.

In that same vein, bringing in a team member to help you look over design options or review copy can help you better understand what you like and dislike. Remember, however, that it’s important to keep the point of contact consistent so communication doesn’t become muddled.

Whether it is copy, design or strategy, a fresh pair of eyes never hurt.

Set specific deadlines

Most importantly, set specific deadlines for any long-term project. Like planning, setting a deadline helps keep you organized and leads to a natural workflow. 

Websites take anywhere from 12-15 weeks to complete, and they seem like daunting tasks. The importance of specifying deadlines and goals makes a website feel achievable. Not adding clear timeframes to your project can result in a lack of direction. 

Additionally, everything we do from start to finish is for the client. At the end of the day, our goal is always to deliver a website quickly and efficiently. Establishing specific deadlines allows us to do just that. 

Be sure to know when to wrap it up and with each deadline reached be sure to celebrate your small victory.

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We know how daunting any long-term project can be. Please don't feel like you have to go at it alone! If you're feeling overwhelmed, come chat with us to see how we help.