When managing a project like SOLAR THRIVE, where every detail from production logistics to customer satisfaction needs to be tracked, you start to see life differently. Deadlines, bottlenecks, unexpected crises. Sound familiar? Turns out, the same principles that keep a renewable energy project on track can also help manage the chaos of everyday life.
Here’s what I’ve learned about project managing my life from working on SOLAR THRIVE:
Planning Is Everything (But Plans Will Change)
At work, we have production schedules, delivery timelines, and KPIs to meet. In life? Well, things don’t always go as planned either. I’ve learned to structure my goals while staying flexible. Instead of rigid to-do lists, I now break tasks into sprints, short, manageable chunks, so that even when life throws curveballs, I still make progress.
Lesson: Plan like an engineer, adapt like a survivor.
Data Tracking Keeps You Honest
Solar Thrive’s success depends on measurable indicators, cost reductions, job creation, efficiency improvements. Without tracking these, we’d have no way of knowing if we’re winning. So why not apply the same logic to personal growth? Now, every Friday, I review my personal “M&E report”:
- What did I achieve this week?
- What slowed me down?
- What needs improvement?
Lesson: If you don’t track it, you won’t improve it.
Resource Allocation Matters
In project management, wasting resources, time, money, materials, is a surefire way to kill progress. The same applies to personal life. I now treat my energy like a project budget:
- Prioritize high-impact tasks.
- Minimize “waste” (doomscrolling, procrastination).
- Allocate time wisely (work, rest, learning, relationships).
Risk Management Is a Life Skill
At Solar Thrive, I’ve dealt with logistical hiccups, supply chain delays, and technical failures. The solution? Always have a contingency plan. Now, I apply risk management to life:
- Always have a Plan B(and sometimes a Plan C).
- Expect delays but don’t let them derail you.
- Anticipate challenges instead of reacting in panic.
Teamwork Makes (Life) Work
No project succeeds in isolation. Solar Thrive involves engineers, logistics teams, field officers, and investors, all working toward a common goal. The same applies to personal life. I’ve learned to delegate, ask for help, and lean on the right people when needed.
Lesson: Your support system is your project team, choose them wisely.
Managing a major energy project has shown me that life itself is a project, one that needs strategy, tracking, and flexibility. Whether it’s career growth, finances, or personal development, applying project management principles makes things more intentional and less chaotic.
So, if your life feels like an unstructured mess, maybe it’s time to start running it like a project. Who knows? You might just thrive.
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