Change Series 1

Watching Chris Brogans overnight success series and it’s a lesson learnt.

We like the brand and the glory that comes with it but most of the time we forget, how hard the work is! So, if you are on your couch and think how cool it is to be Chris Brogan, watch the videos.

Interacting with some of these successful people through my blog and following them on social media, I realize that it’s all hard work. You will be surprised how much of “giving up” is involved in the process. You travel, your work on weekends, you update, read more than average, be innovative to find out ways to keep your readers coming on for more and cut out on the fun and movies most of the time!

Its all work and you can have the fun – working. There’s no shortcut.

I just realized that I’m nowhere near to these people, so amongst all the 3 calls that I took today, I realize that all of them are working today. On a Saturday!

Like you dear newbie; I prefer not working on weekends, but things will change very soon. They already have, while I work on my blog post now and write another for a posting in middle of the week.

Weekends from today will be more work and relaxations happen while working!

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Preaching doesn't help.

If you are not practicing yourself, stop preaching about it.

I have written perhaps umpteen times how getting a mentor helps, it sure does. Everybody needs their priorities to be evaluated once in a while, may be on quarterly basis. So, while I was looking for something more, I asked myself- what do I want to do now?

I write this blog and want to become a project manager but honestly how much progress have I made in the mast 3 months. Not much.

So, given the limited situation not much of the theories I read about I can really put into use. I have been stagnant for a while and it’s not what you want.

So, I sent out a tweet saying that I was looking for a project manager to mentor me. Yep- tweet! I did get some cool replies and I’m so grateful and appreciative of the fact that these project mangers that are awesome and so talented actually tweeted me back. I have told you; get into the social media- its helps!

Very exciting, right. It means lot of work as well. Working with the best in the field means that you will need a lot of preparation and putting in the hours.

So, I’m putting in the pieces together on what I need to get done:

• Get into a schedule rhythm- it gets me working to my best. Very hard to start and push yourself to get up at 6 in the morning but it will work! I need to study, remember?
• Mentally prepping myself up that work shouldn't tire me away and I will work very hard. If the mentor after leading such a busy life is agreeing to help me out, shouldn’t I be more than ready to double up my effort and make it worthwhile for them?
• Got my space set up, to study of course. Same place, same time everyday, helps me concentrate. I decide 2 hours everyday at least!
• Oh yeah and the blog wont stop, it will be rolling like never before- more information for me means more for you. Details of my sessions perhaps won’t be revealed unless my mentors agree to it. I’m not asking them now, not unless I have got an A in my assignment.
• I’d love to snooze for 10 more minutes. I’m awake and writing the blog at 6.30 n the morning. Who knew?

So, now that I’m doing it perhaps its time to get over the “tomorrow factor” for you as well. Rise and shine and get something done!

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Update your skills -now!

Time to update your wardrobe bring out your winter clothes and full sleeves, watch new season of greys anatomy and learn new skills.

So, why should blogrolls be left behind? There are new additions now:

http://scrummethodology.com/

http://agilemethodology.org/

http://www.agile-software-development.com/

Isn't that something?

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The business flow-how important is it?

You are handling projects and it seems too much of confusion and information and you are at loss and feeling naive.

It doesn’t matter what domain you are working in, if you understand the basics you are good to go.

• Understand the business- why you are doing what you are doing?
• How will it help the client/stakeholders?
• Visualize the logic
• Reading the proposal/ statement of work to start getting into the details
• See previous templates of project trackers (if available)
• Ask for help from seniors or just mentors
• Once you know the business logic behind your project; the rest is really easy.
• Read as much details as you can and start organizing
• Create a flow diagram of the work module wise
• Take input from your team
• Make sure you track every single details against the requirement
• If you know your checklist, how can you miss it
• If you don’t miss it, you have your project on the way

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PMI 09 Orlando

If you would like to follow the ongoing PMI conference and watch some cool videos, click here

Organizing wardrobes

Project management is so related to organized behavior and efficiency, I just did it unknowingly- yep, in my apartment!

Far away from work, where it shouldn't have mattered, I decided to color co-ordinate my wardrobe and see if it would make me happier in the mornings, because it would be easier to dress. I always crave some color in the mornings, now instead of browsing through the clothes, I can see them at one glance- the color the style, the collar and the stripes.

It's simple- color and style co-ordination done to keep my worries limited and hopefully make my day. Will it work? I hope so, haven't moved to my apartment yet completely, but the wardrobes arranged and the couch scheduled to deliver.Should be in by the end of the week!

As I came back to my old place with boxes scattered all over I had to think-is this how you become a project manager, so attuned to perfection that it comes automatically to you? Or is it self cultivated that turns even the relaxed and the lazy to the conscious being?

Organized behavior is all you want!

Does being happy make you a better project manager?

What do you think?

When do you work your best? The day you are happy and the day's sunny and breezy or simply run down?

Thats what I thought, so did these articles:

article 1

article 2

If you need more tips on how to be happy at your work and in life, read this The Happiness Project

(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)