Welcome to our weekly newsletter!

16 February 2025

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Hey friend,

I wrote a note on Substack about a poem that a friend wrote. After years of writing she wrote something so beautiful it sparkled. But it took thousands of reps to get there. I won't give up on my own career until I get there. You shouldn't either.

Some Thoughts

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

Time is running away from all of us, so we need to be intentional with it. You may not be able to stand up and walk away from your desk. But you might be able to negotiate time to take your kids to school. You might not be able to retire by 30, but you might be able to save up enough to take a bucket list trip. Create more intentionality in your time and don’t let it get away from you.

What you will learn this week:

☀️ Why financial independence is so important.

🌍 How best to achieve that wonderful goal of freedom.

🍄 BONUS - The right way to split up your personal budget.

Do This to Achieve Financial Independence as a Project Manager

It always seems like we are on the brink of being financially free. Until something happens. Usually an unexpected, large bill.

You think to yourself; “If I had just managed to avoid it I would have had a good month”.

It’s easy to feel like giving up.

But it is possible to achieve financial independence so don’t stop chasing.

It’s possible through strategic career development, smart financial planning, and diversifying income streams.

Achieving Financial Independence as a Project Manager

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you reach that goal:

1. Enhance Your Skills and Certifications

• Get Certified: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or Agile certifications can increase your marketability and allow you to command higher rates. See what your industry requires.
• Specialize: Specializing in a high-demand industry, such as IT, software development, or marketing, can give you a competitive edge.

Soft Skills: Don’t underestimate these.

...

You might enjoy this:

I found something so useful that I had to share it! Because goodness knows we all need to up our income. Get a FREE list of 50 ideas for a side hustle that you can start today with zero budget. Plus tools to help you get started!

Postscript

Do your values align with those of your team? Do your team’s values align with those of the wider organisation? When values clash, there is constant frustration. But discussing values is difficult. And uncomfortable. However it should be done. Take the time to periodically (perhaps once a year) setup the values of your team. It’s not easy, but the benefits in daily frustration are huge.

Until next time,

Jonathan (The Effective Project Manager)

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