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Ever feel like your team is juggling too many tasks at once, with no real sense of what to tackle first? If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. When everything feels like a priority, nothing really is—and that’s exactly why project prioritization is so important.
Enter the Now-Next-Later roadmap—a simple yet powerful tool that helps teams stay focused, aligned, and productive. It’s especially helpful for anyone involved in product management, strategic project planning, or just trying to bring some order to the chaos of a growing task list.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to create a Now-Next-Later roadmap that fits your team’s workflow, supports your project timeline strategy, and drives smarter decisions through visual project planning and lean project management principles.
What’s a Now-Next-Later Roadmap?
The Now-Next-Later roadmap breaks your work into three buckets:
- Now – What you’re working on right now. These are top priorities already in motion or scheduled to start soon.
- Next – What’s coming up after “Now.” These are the upcoming priorities waiting in the wings.
- Later – Ideas and goals for the future. Not urgent, but still valuable enough to keep on your radar.
Unlike traditional Gantt charts or date-heavy planning tools, this roadmap ditches rigid timelines in favor of flexibility and clarity. It’s ideal for fast-moving teams who want to stay agile without losing sight of the bigger picture.
Why Teams Love the Now-Next-Later Format
1. It Forces You to Prioritize
By assigning work to “Now,” “Next,” or “Later,” you’re actively choosing what matters most. This naturally leads to better project prioritization and helps cut through the noise.
2. It’s Aligned With Strategic Goals
This format helps you make decisions based on impact, not just deadlines. That’s key for strategic project planning—you’re always working on the things that align with your team’s or company’s long-term goals.
3. It’s Easy to Understand
Need to explain your roadmap to stakeholders, execs, or new hires? This layout is crystal clear, even if someone’s not deep into the weeds of your day-to-day work.
4. It’s Perfect for Lean and Agile Teams
Following lean project management principles? This roadmap plays nicely with agile workflows, helping you stay responsive and adaptable as priorities shift.
How to Build Your Own Now-Next-Later Roadmap
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Here’s a step-by-step approach to building a Now-Next-Later roadmap that works.
Step 1: Brainstorm Everything
Start with a big ol’ brain dump. Gather input from all corners of your team—product, sales, marketing, customer support, leadership. Collect ideas, feature requests, known issues, customer feedback, and anything else that might turn into a future project.
Step 2: Evaluate and Filter
Not everything makes the cut. Use these criteria to rank and filter:
- Business impact
- Customer value
- Feasibility
- Resources needed
- Alignment with goals
This helps make sure your roadmap doesn’t turn into a catch-all wishlist.
Step 3: Categorize into Now, Next, Later
Now: These are your must-dos—things that are already underway or need to be started ASAP. Think product releases, critical bug fixes, or campaigns with tight deadlines.
Next: These are ready to go once the “Now” stuff wraps up. Maybe they need some prep work or stakeholder buy-in first.
Later: These are future-facing ideas that could become great projects but aren’t urgent. Don’t lose sight of them—just park them for now.
Step 4: Visualize It with a Project Management Tool
Time to turn your list into something your team can see and use. Use a board-style project management tool (like YoroProject) to map out your roadmap. Set up three columns—Now, Next, Later—and drop each item into the right bucket. Add tags, owners, deadlines (if needed), and any relevant notes.
This kind of visual project planning keeps everyone on the same page, literally.
Step 5: Share It and Keep It Alive
Don’t let your roadmap gather dust. Share it with your team regularly. Use it during planning meetings, sprint kick-offs, or check-ins. Update it as priorities shift (because they will). A good roadmap is never “done”—it evolves as your work does.
Pro Tips for Roadmap Success
- Less is more. Avoid overloading your “Now” column—too many priorities = no priority.
- Check in often. Revisit the roadmap regularly to reflect new insights, data, or business needs.
- Balance short-term and long-term. Don’t neglect “Later” items just because they’re not urgent.
- Use your roadmap to say “no”. It’s a great way to show why some things aren’t on your plate right now.
Wrapping It Up: Prioritize Like a Pro
At the end of the day, a Now-Next-Later roadmap isn’t about building the perfect plan—it’s about building the right plan for right now. It helps your team stay focused, aligned, and adaptable without getting overwhelmed by complexity.
If you’re juggling projects, trying to hit deadlines, or just want to be more intentional about your team’s direction, give the Now-Next-Later model a shot. It’s the no-fuss way to level up your project timeline strategy and bring more clarity to your workflows.
Make It Even Easier with YoroProject
Want to build your roadmap faster and keep it updated effortlessly? That’s where YoroProject comes in.
YoroProject is a powerful, intuitive project management tool designed for teams who want to move quickly without sacrificing structure. With drag-and-drop task boards, timeline views, team collaboration, and smart automation features, it’s built to make visual project planning second nature.
From startups to enterprises, YoroProject helps you manage your projects the lean way—so you can prioritize smarter, deliver faster, and adapt as your business grows.
Ready to ditch the chaos and streamline your strategy?
Start building your Now-Next-Later roadmap with YoroProject today.
