Thanks to my PMP certification, of late I have been approached on all kinds of platforms by a lot of people for a little bit of guidance on clearing the exam. But this blog is not about all of that (I am anyways available to tell you about it, if required). I have previously blogged about how I cleared the PMP in 7 weeks and if you are a PMP aspirant, I suggest checking out PMCLounge.com. As far as this blog is concerned, the inspiration is the best question that I got regarding PMP,
What do I need to give up to clear PMP?
I call it the best question because it’s just way too much on the point 😁. If someone is leading a peaceful non-PMP-certified life, what all does (s)he need to give up to swim through the PMP ocean. This is also a question I would myself like to find an answer to before venturing into anything new. Let’s say getting married – What all do you need to give up after marriage? Perfect question. Makes 100% total sense! So after a bit of thinking and recalling the dreaded days of my run up to the PMP exam, below are the top 4 things all PMP aspirants must give up
1. Social Life
This is pretty much like your exam days in school and college. Forget all those late night calls with the girlfriend, forget all that aimless roaming in the malls, forget all those coffee shop hangouts but then if you are appearing for PMP, I am guessing you are already too old for any of these things anyways. In a nutshell, forget whatever social life you have at the moment
2. Relationships
True Story – I personally know people who asked their wives to go at their mother’s place for a few weeks only because they were preparing for PMP! Yes, it may sound surprising but that’s ground reality. Wife, kids, pets, you may have to give all this love up for some time. (Although I think this depends on the other person in question because your loved ones could be very accommodating and not disturb you at all during your marathon study hours)
3. Entertainment
Pretty much in line with Social Life. I mention it separately because watching TV, YouTube, Sports or Movies are different from socializing and depend heavily on personal preferences. So if you are an IPL fanatic, you may want to plan your PMP outside the cricket season
4. Taking care of yourself – Grooming or Working Out
Let me be clear here, grooming and hygiene are two different things. You have the time to take a daily shower but that perfect stubble length you maintain, forget about that. It’s okay to look like a caveman when you are preparing for PMP. The exam does demand that much attention and commitment. And while we are at it, I will also add the weight gain! Forget working out, all day you are going to practice those earned value numerical problems without doing any physical work. You are not a teenager anymore and this might lead to some weight gain. (By the way I have you covered with the absolute #1 tip to burn fat)
Question – After giving up all of the above, how do you maintain the will to live (and continue PMP exam preparation)?
What I did was basically a repeat of what I did during my school and college days and that is to make and maintain a list of all the fun things I plan to do once I am done with the exam. Whatever I felt like doing during the preparation days (instead of studying) automatically went into that list. By the end of exam, the list turned out to be a perfect way of treating myself for crossing the PMP mountain. Try and see if it works for you 🙂
PS – Alot of people ask what books to read for PMP Preparation. I recommend the two below,