I sunk this 2003 Sacagawea dollar coin for someone to find in a foundation post long after I'm gone!

First came the idea, then the plan. Since there's lots to do, you need a good plan. Two formulae apply in the first stage, "the KISS principle" and "the 5 P's".
Keep It Simple, Stupid! Life is hard enough without making it more difficult. If you start to feel like you are getting in over your head, try to think of an easier way. I know that barn raisings often involve a crane or a couple hundred "friends" to hoist up each bent. For me, it was easier to use a backhoe and muster up one or two other workers to help. I could have hired an expensive crane and I could have organized an Amish-like crowd, but it was just easier to keep my plan small. Instead of hoisting up large bents, my barn builder (Greg Searfass) and I built the first floor, and then stacked on the second floor. We didn't need more than the two of us or a crane.
Greg and I are proud that I'm five feet ten and he's five-two, with only two hundred and 275 pounds between us. That's all it took (and a backhoe) to complete the frame. Sure there was some heavy beams but using your brain can go farther than muscle.