A New Adventure: Studying for the PMP

I've procrastinated long enough.

My nature is to identify something needs to happen, jump in feet first, flop around, realize I can swim a little and finally find the shore. So what's the body of water this time? The Project Management Professional certification.

I started a new position at Franklin County Data Center (FCDC) in October 2023. I was excited to work at an agency dedicated to tech and finally learn the ins and outs of managing a myriad of tech projects. Then my dope manager, Renee Mascari-Bauer, PMP , told me the Data Center believes in investing in its people and will support all PMs through the certification process. Um... what?

What I heard was 'You have to go back to school and take a loooong test.' After quieting the panic attack about studying and the anxiety of taking a four-hour, 200-question exam, I got to work getting everything submitted to take the PMP. I overlooked one minor detail: the clock on sitting for the exam started as soon as PMI approved my application. That was November 2023.

For the past three months, I've been hoping that I'd know what I need to know when I need to know it magically. That I wouldn't need to read the 1,000-page study guide or watch 100 hours of videos. Seems like that's not going to happen. In the spirit of accountability and wearing my grown woman pants, I finally put a study plan in place, which includes writing through my fears, lessons, peaks and valleys along the way. Consider this the intro to the story DeGi Path to PMP.

This week, my goal is to get through the first three chapters of Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep. 98 pages. As an incentive, I've given myself permission to buy everything in my Amazon cart if I get through it all and understand what I read. Here's to anticipating a stack of boxes on my porch Monday morning....