Thank you, Doctor Frederick Mechanik

 

Is Your Life a Project? Unpacking the Project Management of Daily Living

Unlike in 2016 when I gave my TedX Talk on Life as a Project, there are a lot of thoughts about the concept now.  As I continue to try to balance launching a new book, DIYing my house, and gardening; I use my fundamental PM tools to get me through.  It is great to see that concept of Life as a Project out there getting talked about! Whether you agree or not, at least it is a conversation point.

Ever feel like you're constantly juggling tasks, goals, and those curveballs life loves to throw your way? What if there was a secret weapon, a framework that could help you navigate it all more smoothly? It's called project management, and while it's usually reserved for the business world, an intriguing question is popping up: Can we actually apply these principles to our everyday lives?

This isn't just a casual thought; it's sparked quite a lively debate, especially among the pros who live and breathe project management. So, let's pull back the curtain on these different viewpoints and figure out if your life genuinely fits the "project" mold.

The "All Life is Project Management" Thesis: A Compelling Idea

For many, the idea that project management principles are simply woven into the fabric of daily life isn't just a theory—it's how they operate. It just makes sense.

Think about your daily routine: When you plan your trip to the grocery store—making that list, strategizing your path through the aisles, grabbing everything you need, paying, and finally getting home—you're essentially running a small project. The same goes for simply planning who to call and then actually making those calls. As DrStarBeast from the r/projectmanagement subreddit aptly puts it, "The truth is, all life is project management." It’s happening whether you call it that or not!

Beyond the mundane, embracing a project management mindset can be a real game-changer for personal growth and tackling your ambitions. "Project management made me better at my personal life for this very reason!" shares peacefrg, highlighting the tangible benefits. Project Management tools can genuinely help you "be more organized, reach your goals, be more resilient when life throws you surprises." It's about taking control and building fortitude.

What's fascinating is how naturally some people adopt these principles. I remember when coworker who, after a PMP boot camp, "came back amazed... she said they gave me all the terminology for I naturally do a natural project manager." It was simply giving a name to something she already excelled at. And when it comes to those big, life-altering events—moving house, buying a home, or even the monumental task of raising children—the need for a project-oriented approach becomes incredibly clear. BlueMountainDace recalls a hiring manager who saw every major life event, from political campaigns to household management, as pure project management. One user even powerfully declared, "Being a parent is the ultimate project." It’s hard to argue with that!

 

Not Everything is a "Project": The Professional Perspective

Now, while the personal benefits are certainly compelling, many professional project managers draw a very distinct line in the sand. They argue that not every task or activity qualifies as a "project" in the formal sense, clearly distinguishing it from routine operations or just simple task management.

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), a commonly cited definition is that "a project is a temporary endeavor, with a defined beginning and end, that is created to achieve some particular goal or desired outcome." Mike Cottmeyer of LiminalArc shares this, highlighting the temporary and unique nature of projects, in stark contrast to ongoing "operational activities." In other words, paying your bills every month is an operation; planning a surprise birthday party is a project.

There's also the very real risk of over-engineering. Applying a full-blown project management methodology—think detailed charters and complex schedules—to something as simple as grocery shopping would be incredibly inefficient. Cottmeyer wisely points out that if the work itself takes less time than formally planning it, you probably don't need to treat it like a capital-P Project. It’s about being smart, not just adhering to a rigid framework.

radlink14 makes a crucial distinction between "operations"—standard, repeatable processes—and "change," which encompasses things that truly impact how we work or live. Project management, in this view, applies to "change" rather than the daily grind. Ultimately, the applicability of the "project" metaphor depends entirely on the context. If your work is routine and ongoing, it's likely not the sweet spot for formal project management. This "salty" divide, as DrStarBeast observed, often stems from experienced PMs' concern that a loose definition could devalue the true complexity and rigor required for actual, large-scale project management. As one user bluntly put it, "You aren’t a PM if you plan a grocery shopping trip... The parallels are not as strong as people want them to be."

 

Practical Applications: Simplified Project Management for Life

Despite the spirited debate, there's a broad consensus that simplified project management principles can be incredibly beneficial for achieving personal goals. It’s about taking the essence of the approach without the heavy bureaucratic overhead.

Here’s how you can easily apply these ideas to your own life:

• Define Your Goals (Your "Requirements"): What is it you truly want to achieve? Sarah M. Hoban stresses the importance of clearly defining your "requirements." Make your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Then, break them down into key areas of your life like health, career, or finances. This gives you a clear target to aim for.
• Identify Your Stakeholders: Who will be impacted by your "project," or who needs to be involved? For a big move, it’s your family. And perhaps most importantly, remember that you are your primary stakeholder! Your own needs and desires are paramount.
• Manage Your Constraints: Just like professional projects, your personal goals have limits. Think about the scope (what’s included), the schedule (timeline), cost (budget), quality (how well you want it done), resources (what you need), and risk (what could go wrong). Applying these helps you analyze your personal endeavors realistically.
• Embrace Project Phases: Mapping the formal project phases to life itself, offering a beautiful, holistic view:
• Initiating: This is where you really scope your life's "project"—what truly matters to you? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? It’s about big-picture vision.
• Planning: This is where you lay out the groundwork for everything from your career path and personal budget to that multi-leg trip you've dreamed of.
• Executing: This is where life happens!  Executing never goes as planned, find joy and adapt despite the inevitable chaos.
• Controlling: Concurrently, you "take a measurement of your project," making "project adjustments" if life veers off course. It’s about course correction in real-time.
• Closing: This phase involves reviewing "what went well, what didn't go well, did we achieve our goals, did we achieve our life's Legacy." Link this to reflecting on the lives of loved ones, and ultimately, our own mortality, emphasizing the importance of living a purposeful life.

 

The Power of Perspective

The profound idea that "every life has a beginning and every life has an end, every project is unique, each one of you are unique, therefore by definition life is a project." It an be a truly powerful perspective. It reframes our existence with a sense of purpose and direction.

This viewpoint isn't about imposing rigid rules or turning every moment into a task. Instead, it's about empowerment. As DrStarBeast wisely suggests, simply viewing life's tasks as projects can "make bigger tasks less intimidating." For countless individuals, it's a practical tool for personal growth and achieving life goals, helping them "become more organized and to reach our goals." It's about approaching life with intentionality and a sense of agency.

So, what do you think? Does your life feel like a project, or is it more about flowing with the current? Perhaps it's a bit of both!

Here is the Notebook LM I used to get these great updates!

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/51caff6e-1f6a-4484-a0d8-28840f098370