Project Management is about the Journey and the Destination

I like to use the ProjectSteps blog to vent, and hopefully, every once in a while, I pass on some small piece of useful information to another person. It is hard to know sometimes if anybody is benefiting from my ramblings, but like all free advice it is worth what you paid for it. There was an article published recently that said keeping a blog is therapeutic. I believe there may be some truth to that statement, and that is why I will probably keep the blog going. I need a place to vent my opinion, and occasionally rail against the “demons of stupidity”.

We are in a tough economy right now and It is having a big impact on the area where I live and on the organization I work for. We are struggling to make meaningful cuts (tens of millions of dollars) to achieve savings that will balance our budget. At my workplace people are losing their jobs, and as we all know this is a very upsetting and troubling process to watch. I have faith that I can work my way through this situation and still find time to give back to others in need. These are tough times that may get tougher and we have to all pull together and do what we can for each other.

I feel blessed to have a job and I’m thankful to have a roof over my head and two great kids. I have hope for my career, my country and believe that both will get back on track to better times soon. Sometimes hope and faith are the only things that we have under our control. I believe that while faith can be fleeting, hope lasts forever.

In the end, we all are in charge of our own destiny and our own success. In tough times it takes effort to keep your head in the game and stay focused. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that the career of a project manager can have great rewards, but it can also be filled with great frustrations and experiences that are less than rewarding. My point? Tough times and times of uncertainty require mental toughness and a strong resolve to do the right things at the right times for the right reasons.

In closing I would like to say we lost a good man when Tim Russert passed away. I will miss seeing him and hearing his wisdom on Sunday mornings. Also, I can’t forget George Carlin who also passed away last week. While controversial, Mr. Carlin told it like it was and also loved to rail against the “demons of stupidity”. I will miss them both.