The Critical Path

I must admit, I'm not a fan of New Year's Eve. For as long as I can remember, I have always felt a sense of dread when I think of the evening festivities. Maybe it's because there is a lot of social pressure to have plans, maybe it's because it's the close of the year, or maybe it's because I just don't like staying up past 9:00 pm.

And, when it comes to the actual New Year, I've always been bothered when I'm asked, "What are your New Year resolutions?" I find it odd that this tradition exists - why do we only think about what we want to achieve at the end of the year. Shouldn't we be thinking about our goals throughout the year? Isn't there always room to grow?

But, to cave into social tradition, I have come up with a few New Year's Resolutions. Resolutions on what I'm not going to do. Instead of putting pressure on myself to achieve goals, I'm going to focus on what I can do to remove the barriers that keep me from achieving goals in the first place. So, here are a few of my What I'm Not Going to Do Resolutions for 2016:

1. I am not going to become frustrated when I experience a road block in a project. Getting frustrated only causes my blood pressure to rise and isn't healthy. It also doesn't help to solve any problems.
2. I am not going to check my email from my phone incessantly.
3. I am going to let people finish their sentences during conversations and not interrupt.

Do you make New Year Resolutions? Why or why not? If so, what are your resolutions for 2016?

Have you ever been sitting at your desk, plugging away at your computer, then suddenly you find yourself wondering how you found yourself in project management? If you're new to the profession, do you sometimes wonder where you go from here? Well you're in good company! 

11 of your peers have come together to share their stories in our new Teachable Moments eBook that highlights what they've learned throughout their journey as a project manager. You'll find stories from those who have been practicing for more than 20 years to those who are just starting out. Each story provides its own piece of wisdom that you can take with you as you go through your own journey. The eBook also provides you links to community content that you can reference, wherever you are in your journey.

And while you're reading through, you'll notice that we've also provided links to the contributor profiles throughout the eBook! Please feel free to connect with each of them within the community!

If you haven't already, click here to download your free PDF copy of the eBook today!

Innovation Week with @effective_pm taking place now through 3 DECEMBER!  Head to YouTube for great videos on improving your skills!

Virtual PMI Talent Management Conference. If you haven’t registered, you still have time! 

• What: This exclusive virtual event for PMI members will discuss essential insights into talent management.  PMI Members (who are PMI certification holders) can earn 6 PDUs.
• When: Friday 4 December 2015 from 8:30 AM ET to 5:00 PM EST.
• Where: From the comfort of your own home or office! Register now at PMI Talent Management Conference 2015.

With the holidays approaching, I thought it would be nice this month to focus on our community as a whole rather than a particular "Member of the Month." While the community has grown by leaps and bounds, we've managed to remain approachable and welcoming to members who come for support and connections.

But it's YOU (yes, I mean *you*) who helps keep the community valuable, professional, and neighborly. Without your participation, the community wouldn't be where it is today - and we wouldn't be able to continue to grow and improve. The community team is so thankful that you continue to post, answer questions, submit content, and participate in webinars. Your dedication to growing the project management profession as a whole is reflected in the community. 

Photo by WoodleyWonderWorks via Flickr at https://flic.kr/p/8fzSe1

And so, in the spirit of reflection and gratitude, I'd like the #ThankItForward to each and every one of you. I encourage you to look around the community and find a member you would like to "ThankItForward." Is there a member who answered one of your questions? Or a member who presented a webinar which you found especially useful? Perhaps there's a blog post you truly enjoyed reading? Did someone inspire you?

So tell us - leave a comment below thanking a fellow community member (or members!) for his or her efforts. Let's inspire one another to reflect and #ThankItForward to those who helped us become better at what we do.

We’re excited to bring you some new functionality to the community. You may have noticed that our discussion boards have changed a bit. Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far:

• New “Up Vote” – an easy way to show your appreciation of a post. Just click on the arrow next to “Up Vote” and give the author kudos for contributing to the community!
• Active Links - We now have automatically-generated links in the Discussion threads! This makes it easier to post a link. Just be sure to follow the community rules around link posting.
• Time Stamps - New time stamps for posts and comments! Now you can easily see when the post was entered and if or when it was updated. You may see “updated by moderator” appear in some posts. This means that one of the community engagement specialists edited the post to comply with user guidelines or to clarify a title/language.
• Podcast Page – Looking for podcasts on project management? Check out the new Podcast Page for a curation of some community member podcasts.

Discussion Board Round-Up

Check out the Project Management Central forum board and find out what the community is saying on a variety of hot topics!

• Is risk management being properly utilized?
• Can you apply agile methodologies to all projects?
• PMP self-study . . . where do I begin?

Have an opinion of your own? Help out a fellow project manager and weigh in on these posts that need answers!

• What are you working on?
• What is your strategy for negative cash flow projects?
• What are the 5 best books for a new project manager

Stay tuned for more updates and featured community activity!