I know that usually people prepare resolutions for the upcoming year before it starts.
However, being a project manager, I believe it is better to make a retrospective and analyze the results before building a plan for the future. Thus, you get a chance to learn the lessons and to use this experience for planning better.
Therefore, I am here to make a retro for 2020 and to tell you about the results I have managed to get, and to create resolutions for 2021 with you.
2020 Results
Let’s start from the results.
2020 was a real challenge to all of us and there is a lot of negative feedback about this year. At the same time, this year brought a lot of new experience and opportunities.
YouTube
I have finally started a YouTube channel (Project Management Sandbox). The reason to do this was a demand: from me to share my experience and from you who asked questions about project management. As long as there was a demand, I decided it is a good idea to record the responses. Now, I would like to thank you for your support! If you would like me to continue sharing my expertise and tips on project management, please give this video a like and make sure to subscribe to me channel.
I have grew my Instagram by posting valuable content there and it continues growing. So happy to see your engagement there! If you would like to get more insights and tips about IT PM field, come join me there!
Social Life
This year I was interviewed about my professional field, wrote several articles on professional platform and was quoted in a magazine. I have conducted several webinars and have built a program to help people start their career in IT as project managers. Will tell you more about it soon 🙂
Lifestyle
I have tried sup and surf this summer and found out it is not mine as I have a sea seek. That was disappointing, but now I know that snowboard works better for me.
Now I start my day with yoga and meditation and wake up at 5am every day. This helps to adjust myself to success and increases the day duration significantly. Really recommend this!
Summary
If you want to move forward, it is more important to do the thing NOW than to wait for a perfect moment. Perfect moment can never come. While trying to make things perfectly you will waste your time. However, if you try now without perfection, you will be a step ahead or a half-step ahead in any case
If you can share your results of the year in comments that would be awesome! I would be happy to read them!
How to set goals for 2021
Now, when it comes to the resolutions, the very first thing is to understand what is your end-goal.
As I like to think, out live is our biggest project. Therefore, we need to be strategic when it comes to planning for ourselves.
Every year of your life is a milestone that we have to take benefit from. Thus, imagine, you gonna have a demo in the end of the year. What do you want to see there?
It is difficult to realize how to achieve a big goal. Therefore, you need to build a roadmap with clear steps and milestones on how to hit it. When you have this on hand, when you see the way to you next destination, the big goal becomes less scary. It becomes feasible.
Do not clime the mountain. Lay it down and walk to the top.
Become an IT Project Manager
For instance, if your goal is to land a job as the IT Project manager, you need to define what steps you need to take to be there.
Respond to the questions: Are you already in this field? Do you have any project management experience, or do you just plan to start?
Step 1 – If you just plan to start your career in IT as a project manager, you need to understand how project management works to get confidence in your skills.
BTW, make sure to check this video where I am describing the most important project management qualities that you need to develop to succeed in this field.
Step 2 – is your resume up-to-date?
For a professional it is crucial to outline field-related achievements. Basically, in your resume you wanna show you have succeeded in project management before and you have an ambition and a potential to succeed in future.
If you accept my concept to take everything you do as projects, I bet you can find relevant background in your life.
Step 3 – have you thought about professional certification?
Yes, even if you do not have a direct IT project management experience, there are professional globally recognized certifications that you can consider. Check out this episode.
Step 4 – a good cover letter. And use video, I mean it. Just imagine, if you see an email with the ad, OR if you see the ad on YouTube, which one would you most likely remember?
Same principles work here.
Step 5 – do you know the company you wanna work in?
You can always search by job, but the best thing you can do is to search by company. This will give more confidence you will enjoy the work at the company you dream of, rather than having a job in the random company. Think about it.
See, being able to plan and having clear action items helps to see the steps you need to take in order to achieve your big goals.
Another tip is to do the damn thing in the way you can, but do this NOW rather than wait for the perfect moment. Will talk more about productivity. Just remember you need to take action to get results.
Hope you enjoyed this video! If you wanna become a project manager and if you need help, make sure to reach out to me.