Managing projects without a project manager

We all have projects — personal renovations, professional commitments, client work. Yet most of us try to manage these projects inside our task managers, resulting in crowded lists that grow faster than we can complete them. We feel behind even when we’re making progress.

I recently had a one-on-one session with Carl Pullein, a productivity teacher known for his practical approach to time management. What he shared changed how I manage projects in our graphic design and website development business — and it’s a method anyone can use.

Pullein’s approach is refreshingly simple: begin on paper, then manage the project inside a notes app — not a task manager. This separates thinking from doing and treats projects as something to be designed before execution.

Start on Paper

Every project begins the same way: on paper.

Pullein emphasized that writing by hand engages deeper thinking. Paper doesn’t have notifications or encourage multitasking. It allows you to see the shape and scope of a project before committing to action.

When starting a new project  —  whether it’s a website redesign for a client or a home improvement plan — open a notebook, give the project a title, and write freely: What are you trying to do? What materials, people, conversations, or steps will be involved?

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about capturing everything while your mind is clear and uninterrupted.

Pullein calls this the “project note.” This is where ideas, obstacles, sketches, and early plans belong. Paper gives the project space to breathe and allows details to surface that would otherwise be lost on a screen.

Move to Your Notes App

After the initial planning session, scan or transcribe the project note into your preferred notes app — Evernote, Apple Notes, OneNote, or Notion all work.

The digital project note holds the entire project: original handwritten notes, updated decisions, images, meeting notes, links, and reference materials. Everything that belongs to the project lives here, in one place.

For a client website project, this includes consultation notes, style references, wireframe sketches, revision feedback, and launch checklists. Instead of scattered across email and folders, everything lives in one project note.

Keep Tasks Out of the Task Manager

This is where Pullein’s method diverges from conventional wisdom — and where most people go wrong.

Many of us immediately transfer every project detail into our task manager. But projects evolve. Initial tasks are estimates and assumptions that will change.

Dumping everything into a task manager upfront creates irrelevant tasks, overwhelming lists, and a sense of falling behind before you even start.

Pullein only pulls one task from the project note into his task manager: “Work on [Project Name].”

That’s it. One task.

When that task comes due, he opens the project note and works from there. The project note controls what happens — not the task manager.

The notes app is where you think and decide. The task manager only tells you when you will work.

Manage Your Time, Not Your Tasks

Pullein’s approach depends on one principle: You cannot manage tasks, but you can manage time.

He schedules project time on his calendar like meetings or appointments. During those blocks, he opens the project note and works on whatever the project needs next.

The question is no longer “What should I do next?” but rather “When am I going to sit down and work on it?”

Once the time is scheduled, the project moves forward consistently without overwhelm.

For our business, this means blocking client project time on the calendar every week — not vague “work time,” but dedicated sessions. During those blocks, the project note guides what needs attention.

Why This Works

This system works because it aligns with how we naturally think and operate:

• Clarity before action — paper allows uninterrupted thinking
• One source of truth — the notes app holds everything
• No overwhelm — only one task enters the task manager at a time
• Progress is time-based — if time is scheduled, the project moves
  
  

You’re no longer juggling outlines, checklists, and planning in the same space where every other task lives. You avoid the mental clutter that causes resistance and procrastination.

A Simple Path Forward

You don’t need complicated software to manage projects. You simply need a notebook, a notes app, and a task manager that reminds you when to work.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your task list, try starting your next project on paper. Let the thinking happen there. Move the evolving project into a single digital note. Then schedule time to work on it.

It’s simple, sustainable, and surprisingly freeing — a lesson I’m grateful Carl Pullein taught me, and one that’s already improving how we serve our clients.