(This is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series on PM Overwhelm)
I seriously didn’t feel like writing a blog post today. Honestly! I’ve got a thousand things going on and all of them scream “I need to be done NOW!”
But isn’t that the life of a Project Manager?
We need to focus on one item but are pulled in a hundred different directions. We’re constantly evaluating: what do I work on first? Which fire do I put out next? What can be pushed off a bit?
Sometimes it feels like the real question is: “Who am I going to disappoint today?”
I bet most of you are nodding your head and saying, “Yup, I hear you!” in complete empathy.
But I guess the times we’re overwhelmed are exactly the times we do need to “show up.”
Several reasons come to mind:
- People are counting on us – our teams need decisions and direction…and support
- It’s always worse if you put something off – a small flame today is a big fire tomorrow
- There will be other fires tomorrow – easier to face them without today’s still raging in the background
But amidst this crazy and sometimes exhausting life we’ve chosen, we have to ask ourselves: would we really want someone else’s job?
Let’s face it, we were drawn to this profession for a reason. Can you see yourself as an accountant or a fireman or a teacher (even if you came from those professions – you wound up here, right?)
There is something that pulled us to Project Management.
- We love the challenge of a new project – learning, figuring it all out, getting everything working together
- We enjoy (or can’t help) organizing and scheduling
- We are drawn towards process, metrics, leading teams, seeing something through to the end
And when we’re done with the old…there’s always a new project just around the bend!
So even if you’re tired and feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities, count your blessings – remember why you showed up in the first place.
Stay safe, stay healthy – and lead on!