Lifelong Project

Your Next Lifelong Project

Projects are often run as “projectized” units where the project team and the project manager work on one project at a time rather than in a matrix structure where the project manager and the project team may be working on multiple projects across the organization. There are some other structures that affect the project manager’s authority, but I’d like to think about projectized structures today.

A projectized structure is, in my opinion, the best model for most projects. The project team is focused on one project, a defined set of organizational benefits, and the project manager has the most autonomy over the project. The project manager and the project team have a common priority and interest within the organization: get this project done. The downside of a projectized project, however, is that as the project winds down the project manager and the project team may get antsy about what they’ll be doing next. There’s some anxiety about where each project team member will move onto, if they’ll continue to have an income, and what the next project promises.

The Lifelong Project, as it happens, is a projectized project. You are the project manager and for the most part you’re also the project team. You’re the person identifying the requirements, managing the project work, and you’re the team actually doing the project work. You are totally responsible for what does, or does not, get done within your life. Just as a project team and project manager experience anxiety within a projectized structure so too may you in your project. As you see your goals accomplished you may get nervous, depressed, and restless about what your next gig will be.

In my Lifelong Project I’m experiencing this right now. I’ve reached all of my goals for this year except for one and this last goal is on the brink of becoming a reality. I can sense my boredom, unease, and worries beginning to creep up. Now, in my project, is the time for me to begin to look for new goals, new project requirements, and new challenges to conquer. The Lifelong Project is not about sitting still, admiring the work that’s been done, and letting the tides of life wash over you. The Lifelong Project is about doing: nothing happens until someone does something. You are that someone.

You don’t have to wait until January 1 to begin to go after your ambitions and goals. Projects can begin on any day of the week. Your life can begin again on any day of the week. I challenge you to start exploring what requirements you’d like in your next Lifelong Project.

Your Capacity to Accomplish

First, I am not a runner. Sure, I run: I can quickly place one foot in front of the other, sweat, breathe in, breathe out. I’ve even done an eight-minute mile, but I’m not a runner in the sense you probably think of runners. I don’t crave those sunrise runs, orange and blue sports drinks, and know all about the latest gel-based shoes. I don’t have a lean, svelte body. I am not tall. I have never been athletically gifted; I’ve been more alphabetically gifted. Still, I ran, and finished, the Chicago Marathon.

Over a year ago in my Lifelong Project challenge I tried to think of the singular most difficult thing a person could do. I considered climbing Mount Everest or Mount Kilimanjaro but I live in Indiana, where there landscape is flat as a pancake, so training for those outings wouldn’t be feasible. I thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail ala Bill Bryson, but immediately ruled out anything that involved black bears and sleeping in a tent for more than a few nights. I tossed around a few other ideas and settled on the Chicago Marathon.

This was a real challenge - we all know the guy who ran the first one died at the end and last year a man died before the end of the Chicago Marathon. This was scary, people. I also knew I’d have to consistently train, cut way back on my cigars, beer, and scotch, and find someone who could offer some guidance on what I was in for. My friend Don Kunhle is a runner; he’s run a marathon, loads of half-marathons, and is a Marine - he was my coach. Don created a reasonable running schedule for me, ran with me, coached me, and made me promise that I would not quit. He held me accountable and for that I’m thankful.

In my training I completed four half marathons around Indianapolis. The first half was a tough one but my last one seemed easy. It was only easy, like most things in life that we think are easy, because I was prepared. From last May until October 12 I was running nearly every day of the week. I had told too many people, ran too many miles already, and invested too much blood, sweat, and new gym shorts to quit now. I was committed.

On one of my last training runs, lost in thought, I realized that the hardest part of the marathon is what most people don’t see: the planning and preparation to get to the starting line. Training is part of the marathon. I’ve learned that running a Marathon is one of the toughest things anyone can ever do. I have newfound respect for people that run, quickly, a marathon.

October 10 was here. My friends Martha, Fred, and Carin made the trek with me to Chicago to cheer me on. I was nervous and didn’t sleep much before the race. On race day morning, 5:00 a.m.  I was awake and ready to get this goal crossed off my list for 2008, and maybe for the rest of my life. It was already muggy outside and the day promised to be unusually warm. The 2007 Chicago Marathon was canceled mid-race due to heat and I was worried for the day’s outlook promised to be a hot one. I pinned on my runner’s bid, tied my timing chip into my shoes, and strapped on my watch. I, along with 35,000 other people, lined up for a wicked foot-tour of Chicago.

I left Grant Park in the heart of downtown and headed north to my old neighborhood, Wrigleyville. From there I ran south, back towards downtown, and then west of the city. Along the route there were thousands, some have said over a million, spectators to cheers the runners and to hand out water, Gatorade, bananas, and candy. I followed the pack east and then south towards Chinatown. Dancing dragons, firecrackers, and noisemakers cheered me onto Pilsen where mariachi bands, drums, and pumping music kept my spirits high. Martha, Fred, and Carin had their own marathon of sorts as they took the El around Chicago to rendezvous with me; it was amazing how their chants, smiles, and high-fives kept me moving. Thanks for coming, guys!

Kilimanjaro sounded, even felt, more feasible than 26.2 miles when I got to mile 22. My body ached, my head felt like I had a concussion, the temperature was near eighty, and I was layered in a grimy, salty sweat.  Finally, I reached mile 24 and I knew, really knew, that I was going to finish this crazy goal. I made myself pick up the pace and ran those last two miles into the finish. My heart pounded, the crowds roared, and I cried when I ran those final yards across the finish line.

Mission accomplished.

I proved, to myself more than anyone, that I am capable of doing more than I believed. We all are capable of doing more than we think. Your capacity to do more, to accomplish, to reach for the impossible, and to grasp beyond ether starts with your own creative thought. The impossible becomes possible with planning and preparation. Your ambition becomes a reality by doing. The line between the creative thought and the implicit action is not a direct, easy stroke. The space between where you are now and where you want to be is as jagged as a lightning bolt, as mysterious as an unopened gift, and as exciting, well, it’s as exciting as finishing a marathon.

Thank you for sharing in my Lifelong Project this year. I still have one more goal to accomplish this year and it looks like I’ll have news to share on this soon. My creation, The Lifelong Project, uses the principles of project management to create a fuller, richer, more exciting life. I know it works. If I can do it you can too. So once again I’ll ask you: what would happen if you treated the next year of your life like a project?

If you’d like to speak with me about presenting The Lifelong Project for your organization please send an email.

Belgium to Chicago

On September 27 I was honored to present the Lifelong Project as the keynote speaker at the 9th Annual PMI BeNeLux Day in Belgium. There were so many wonderful people that made this event a success and I was just thrilled to be a part of it. Nearly 300 people gave up their sunny Saturday to attend this annual conference. Speakers from around Europe gave presentations throughout the day on each of the nine project management knowledge areas.

I arrived in Belgium several days before the conference to become acclimated, do some writing and to just relax. My home base was Ostend on the shore of the North Sea. It was here that I went for a great 20-mile run down the ocean-front path; I passed WWII bunkers, ocean liners, yachts, para-surfers, abandoned homes and giant condominiums. The run took 3:46 and was one of my best ever. I’m sure the cool weather and the new atmosphere helped. Here's the Ostend boardwalk:

From Ostend I returned to Bruges, also known as “The Venice of the North.” My friend Carl Daneels gave me an incredible tour on my last jaunt through Bruges, but I really wanted another visit. On my last trip, in January, Bruges was cold, rainy, and deserted. This time the weather was warm, sunny, and Bruges was open for business. I wandered the streets, the city squares, made my way up the famous Bruges Belfry tower. This landmark housed the city treasure and has 366 winding steps to the bell tower top. (Going in circles made me a little dizzy, but I lived.) There are amazing views in all directions from the tiptop. This is Bruges at night with the Belfry in the background.

I’m not an overly religious person, but I wanted a return visit to the Basilica of the Precious Blood. This is a cathedral that hosts a relic that the Catholic Church says contains the actual blood from Jesus Christ. The relic is a small glass tube and you can indeed see a significant amount of flaked blood inside. When I was there last time I had no idea the relic existed and was quite surprised. Throughout the day the church will allow visitors to walk up a small platform where a priest or nun guards the relic. You can say a prayer, touch the tube, or just have a moment of silence. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got goose bumps down my arms just thinking of what I was touching. It was truly a special event for me.

From Bruges I trekked onto Ghent. Ghent is a lot like Bruges: medieval, a bit touristy, and it has some canals throughout the city. It was no easy hike from the train station to city center, however. Once there I toured a castle, roamed around downtown, and did my part to support the local economy by drinking some fine Belgium beers in the sunshine. I would have liked to have spent longer time in Ghent, but I had but one day in this city before I was due in Antwerp. I met this castle guard on my tour.

Antwerp is a fine city and I’ve always enjoyed my time here. I stay at the Hilton on the Groenplaats - a large square adjacent to a great city market. There are scores of restaurants, bars, florists, a modern mall, and a ritzy shopping district, and just about anything else you’d need. St. Katherine’s Cathedral is just off of this city square as well and they house a huge collection of Peter Paul Ruben’s paintings - definitely worth the tour. One of my favorite places in Antwerp is at the Antwerp Piano Bar. This small bar has live jazz music, an attentive staff, and Cuban cigars. I went there twice over three days.

At the end of my trip I headed to Maastricht where I met up with my good friend and past editor Gareth. We had one day to wander around this wonderful Holland city and fortunately the weather was agreeable, the coffee warm, and the beer ice cold. We found a huge, old cathedral that had been converted into a wonderful book store. Before the book store this cathedral was used as a bicycle storage facility. The new owners had cleaned all of the limestone and artists were retouching the frescos, repairing the stained glass windows, and protecting the murals on the ceiling. It was simply amazing. Gareth and I are starting a new photo project called "Places You Shouldn't Be." This is Gareth's first entry.

My final day in Belgium was cold, full of rain, and dark - a typical Flemish day I’ve come to learn. Everyone told us how lucky we’ve been with the great sunny days, but Belgium is usually cold and wet. Sounds like Indiana in the winter. Since I was flying home from Brussels I spent my final hours touring the Brussels Art Museum, gawking through the rain, and sipping coffee. I was so exhausted that I spent my last evening in my hotel room with a bounty of good wine, fruits, cheese, and chocolate. I was ready for that long flight back to the states.

All-in-all, it was a fantastic trip - who knows when I’ll ever have the chance to return? I’m happy that I took the opportunity to go, share my Lifelong Project with a roomful of project managers. I count myself as a lucky person.

In just a few days I’ll be heading to my old, sweet home, Chicago. I’ll be running, and finishing, the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 12. This 26.2 mile course heads north and past my old apartment and then turns west and south past the University of Chicago. I’ll end the course close to where I started at Grant Park in downtown Chicago. This is one of two goals that I’ve yet to finish for the year. I am a bit anxious but am confident I’ve trained hard, shed a few pounds, and can complete the course. My goal, officially, is to complete the marathon in five hours. I’ll keep you posted.

A few of my friends, Fred, Carin, and Martha, are coming along to cheer me throughout the course. If you’re in Chicago and would like to meet up after the race or cheer me along let me know - I’d be honored. Thanks again for your wishes, thoughts, and prayers. All my best,

Joseph Phillips