Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Are You Drowning in Half-Finished Projects?

Ever found yourself elbows-deep in a new offer, podcast pitch, or freebie idea … only to look up weeks later and realize nothing actually got finished? Then it is the perfect time to tackle project management for course creators.

If you’re juggling more to-dos than time, or if the idea of launching something new just makes you want to hide under a blanket (because where would you even start?), episode 261 of the Chasing Simple Podcast was made for you.

I sat down with integrator and systems strategist Manali Sontakke to talk about how course creators can stop spinning their wheels—and actually move their business forward in a way that feels light instead of heavy.

This conversation? It felt like a deep exhale. So, if you’re ready to breathe again in your business, keep reading.

---

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Join me on Monday evenings at 4:00 pm Pacific time/7:00 pm Eastern time for my weekly YouTube Lives!
• Check out my Playbook for Complete Marketing Game Plan
• This week’s action step: Pick one marketing project to work on this quarter and start planning it out with Manali’s 7 step system.
• This week’s book recommendations: Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth: Book 1 by Kristen Ciccarelli
• Find us on Instagram and tell us you what you thought of this episode: @mrsamandawarfield and @manalisontakke
• Manali’s Website – Business Coach Wedding Editor for Photographers, Integrator

---

I’m Manali, and I spend my time helping creative entrepreneurs become confident behind their business and lead a free & fulfilling life. My mission is to empower creatives and photographers to thrive with 1:1 coaching, wedding editing and digital product integration and time-saving systems education and templates. You can most often find me cuddling my cat Keegs 🐱, enjoying a hazelnut cappuccino at a local coffeeshop, out on the Ohio river kayaking or at a local winery in Covington – bubbly in hand!

Social Links:

Instagram – @manalisontakke

Website – Business Coach Wedding Editor for Photographers, Integrator

---

Why You’re Always Busy but Rarely Feel Accomplished

We kicked off the episode chatting about something I know so many educators wrestle with—why we feel like we’re working constantly, but still never seem to check the big things off our list. A common struggle when it comes to project management for course creators.

Manali’s answer? We’re too deep in the weeds. When you don’t carve out time to zoom out, you can’t prioritize effectively. It’s just survival mode on repeat.

So her first (and maybe most surprising) tip was this:

Schedule time to take a bird’s eye view of your business. Treat it like a non-negotiable meeting.

This is your space to ask: What am I working toward? Does this project actually move the needle? What can wait?

Without this time, we end up in what she called “reactionary mode”—where everything feels urgent, but nothing is actually aligned.

7-Phase System for Finishing a Project Without Burning Out

Next, we dove into Manali’s signature 7-phase project system: 

• Research
• Build
• Test
• Launch
• Analyze
• Tweak
• Market

What I love about this system is how it slows us down—in a good way. Most of us jump from idea straight to creation. But skipping research and testing? That’s where burnout and backtracking creep in.

This system makes project management for course creators a breeze.

Each of her phases ensures you’re:

• Creating something people actually want,
• Giving yourself time to refine it,
• And making the marketing part way less stressful.

Want to try this with your next project? She recommends mapping each phase onto your calendar so you can see exactly what fits (or doesn’t) with your real schedule.

Spoiler: Most projects take longer than we think—and that’s okay.

How Many Projects Should You Be Juggling at Once?

Brace yourself. Because Manali’s hot take was this:

One project per quarter. That’s it.

I’ll admit—when she said it, my stomach dropped a little. But the truth is, it makes sense. She explained how this slower rhythm not only leads to stronger results but also protects our peace.

Instead of feeling like you’re launching something new every 5 seconds, you get to pour into one thing, do it well, and still have breathing room in your life and business.

And yes, that includes things like new opt-ins. She even gave a full example of how to break one down using her 7-phase system!

Time Management That Works With Your Brain (Not Against It)

We wrapped the episode with a fun chat about time management preferences: Are you Team Pomodoro or Team Time Tracking?

Spoiler: We’re different!

Manali thrives with tracking her hours. I’m a diehard Pomodoro girl.

The point? There’s no one-size-fits-all.

Try different tools. Notice your own rhythms. The right system is the one that works for you. Period.

If You’re Not Ready to Hire an Integrator, Start Here

Manali shared so many gold nuggets, but if I had to sum up one actionable takeaway, it’s this:

Block time on your calendar every week or month to zoom out.

And then protect that time fiercely. Use it to look at your goals, evaluate what’s working, and choose what deserves your energy next.

Your project management system doesn’t need to be fancy. But it does need to exist.

You deserve to move through your business with intention, not chaos.

Want Support Simplifying Your Marketing Projects?

If you’re nodding along with all this but need help putting it into practice, that’s exactly what we do inside the Chasing Simple Playbook. You’ll walk away with a clear quarterly plan, a streamlined workflow, and more space in your week for what matters most.

You don’t have to hustle harder. You just need a better rhythm. Let’s build it together.