Time is almost up.

Last January I vowed to treat this year of my life as a project - and I have. I've set goals, created plans to achieve the goals, and learned lesson after lesson as I close in on December 31. It's been a wonderful year chockablock full of lessons, pain, growth, and coming to terms with constraints, obstacles, and planning and planning again. On November 2 I'll present what I've learned, what's worked for me, and hopefully what will work for others in 2007.

In project management we know that all projects, from building the pyramids to creating a new software application move through a logical project management lifecycle: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Any project manager with at least half an hour of training has seen this lifecycle - it's easy to understand.

As I moved through my life project I found some of the same processes, like creating a project scope statement, creating the work breakdown structure, and risk assessment fundamental to my progress. I discovered, however, that there are other life processes that don't map to the 44 project management processes. For example, I believe that a life project uses planning processes like surrendering, accepting, and trusting; you won't find those in the PMBOK, but I bet you've relied on them in your own life.

If In the executing process group I discovered that we all need to forgive, heal, and develop a sense of gratitude for all of the wonderful things in our lives - like living! Executing also includes loving, respecting, and my personal favorite - adventure.

Processes that I'd highlight in life's monitoring and controlling process group are listening, self-control, and passion. I believe without these processes a life project could meander and drift from goal-to-wish list-to-memories without the project manager every accomplishing anything.

In the closing process group I bet you can guess at least one process I've included. If you said learning you're correct! Learning, just like in business-centric projects, are paramount for the project manager and the project team. The biggest lesson I've learned this year and through this experience? You repeat your lessons until you learn them.

I knew that there were things in my life that I just had to dismiss, but I chose not to. Over and over these negative elements in my life pulled me down and wasted my time. The closing process of learning got through to me: I'll repeat this lesson until I learn from it.

This one axiom, more than anything else I've accomplished this year, has helped me tremendously. I began examining my life for my "bad habits," procrastinations, and missed opportunities that I'd repeated over and over and over again. Those were all lessons just waiting for me to learn them.

What lessons are waiting to be learned in your life?

I've still eight weeks to go in my project life - the year isn't over, but the end is nigh. I'm still working towards finishing a few goals and then there's all the planning for next year's project. If you're not able to attend the seminar on November 2, be certain to check out my blog - www.lifelongproject.com. I'll be reporting on all my goals, the results of the upcoming seminar, and my goals for 2007.