I can't personally say i have a proven approach, but my success with multiple projects has been due to this sort of impromptu guide: Prioritize tasks based on

I can't personally say i have a proven approach, but my success with multiple projects has been due to this sort of impromptu guide: Prioritize tasks based on a 'pressure' metric p, where p is roughly: p = interestingness * complexity_of_task / (deadline - now) Then split my time up (sometimes daily, sometimes a week) like time_for_task1 = available_time * p1 / (p for all tasks) Roughly, this means: - am more likely to do a task that is very interesting (either because of the hacks involved or the money!) - am more likely to put emphasis on tasks nearing their deadline - am definitely the more complex a task is, the more time it ought to demand, so this increases or reduces pressure But take note of the 'physics envy' syndrome! attempting to formulate everything can lead one into unnecessary error! So i tend to use this with a grain of salt, sometimes mere gut feelings are enough to decide what to do next.