While it may appear that you’re bringing work home with you, project management is actually a way of putting your soft skills to work in your personal life. You will enjoy innumerable benefits by incorporating project management concepts into your daily life.
1. Better manage your finances :
Make a spreadsheet for your incoming and departing funds, and you’ll be able to spot inefficiencies in no time. While it may not sound like an enjoyable way to spend your leisure time, devoting a rainy afternoon to better understanding your money could help you afford that extra vacation next year!
2. Take control of your home improvements:
Consider taking control if you’re planning any type of home remodelling or construction work. Paying for a project manager may be a waste of money because you will most likely be in charge of the construction yourself. Although it may be a new field for you, you possess the necessary soft skills, such as organisation, critical thinking, communication, and risk management.
3. Use negotiation skills for personal gain:
Remember how you convinced a contractor to cut costs by 15% and saved the organisation £20,000 per year? You might save a lot of money if you use these negotiation abilities when making significant purchases in your daily life. You may save money on vacations, vehicles, and other household products if you do your homework. Always go to the boss, ask if they can price match, or throw in freebies and upgrades to sweeten a deal, and remember the persuasion skills you employ at work.
4. Effectively schedule appointments :
Apply the same scheduling techniques you use at work to your personal errands. To avoid unnecessary weekend visits to the city, schedule a dentist check-up or a hair/beauty appointment during your lunch hour. To avoid having to manage last-minute preparations, make any obligations ahead of time. You’ll save a lot of time and work if you streamline this part of your life.
5. Arrange family occasions :
Make use of your project-management skills to plan family gatherings. Gatherings that are well-managed will benefit the entire family, and they may even appreciate you for taking leadership! Even if they don’t, knowing that the arrangements are well-managed will give you peace of mind.
6. Streamline your communication :
Just as you do at work, figure out the best ways to communicate with those around you at home. Setting up group chats with friends/family members to save time delivering information could be one way to do so. Technology can also be useful for interacting with your child care provider if you have children. Many schools, childminders, and nurseries use apps to keep you informed and prevent messages from being forgotten, lost, or overlooked
7. Keep a record of your accomplishments:
The most effective managers maintain track of their project outcomes. This could involve acknowledging strong KPI results and highlighting outstanding client feedback emails, for example. It’s a terrific approach to prove your worth to higher management when it comes to assessing your performance or negotiating a raise. In your personal life, keeping a record of your accomplishments is just as vital. It could be as easy as writing down your accomplishments on the front page of your diary; this can be a fantastic pick-me-up on difficult days.
Want to become better at managing? Take on PMI’s PMP Certification today!
