Harnessing the Autumn Reset for Personal Projects

Bruce is the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com, a resource for growing IT project managers.

  Career Development  

For years, the fall season has been a favorite time of the year. The transition away from summer heat, the prospect of learning new things, and seeing more people as the vacation season winds down. Thanks to the school year cycle, it also feels like a second January. Let’s use that reset button to take stock of our personal projects.

Step 1: Pressing Reset on Your Personal Projects
In larger organizations, program and portfolio management methods are used to manage groups of projects. In the lead-up to a new fiscal year, it is a common practice to take stock of what has been achieved and determine which projects, programs, and portfolio changes are needed. Consider using that same kind of reflective exercise on your life outside of work.

To get started, use these prompts:

• Is my season of life changing? Specifically, look for changes that may increase or decrease your capacity in terms of time, energy, and other resources.
• Do I have the capacity to try something new?
• How are my goals changing? The personal projects we pursue should align with our goals, or it will be tough to make progress.
• What lessons can you draw from recently completed projects?

Step 2: Consider Adding a Learning Project to Your Portfolio
Learning, especially in a self-directed adult fashion, is a wonderful type of personal project to pursue. There are two broad types of …

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