New Year’s Resolutions = Poor Project Management?

Many people make New Year’s resolutions, yet, few manage to keep them. These resolutions seem a good idea on 31 December, are less appealing on 1 January and distant memories a month later.

Why is this? Would project management skills help?

Many resolutions are ‘spur of the moment’ decisions with little thought. Some are made as an excuse not to have done something earlier in the year. People put off starting a diet or exercise plan by saying that they’ll start it in the New Year. If you couldn't exercise in October how will January be any better and if you were unable to spend time with your family last year what makes you think this year will be better?

Many resolutions don’t have finite goals. How much weight do you aim to loose.

Most don’t have milestones so there’s often no way of measuring progress.

Some resolutions don’t actually address the problem. You may want to spend more time with the family so you resolve to come home half an hour earlier. However, the problem usually isn’t the amount of time spent at home but rather the quality of time. It’s pointless being at home if you take business calls during dinner and are continually responding to emails. Rather, it would be better to ensure that you say attend one ball game a month with your son, make sure you are there for family special events and pay attention to what’s going on at home.

Most resolutions don’t have a correct methodology thought through. It’s all very well saying you intend to spend more time with the family, but how will this be accomplished? Obviously something has to change. Just saying you will leave work half an hour earlier won’t be possible if you don’t change the underlying cause of having to work excessively long hours. This may be a failure to delegate properly, taking on too many projects, not having the right support staff or simply being disorganised. The same probably goes for resolving to do more exercise. Why haven’t you being exercising – possibly because you didn’t have the time?

So what are your New Year’s resolutions? Will you keep them? Do you have a plan in place or is it just some idea that sounds good?

If you resolution is to become a better construction project manager, or, to grow your construction company then consider reading my books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide