In this video, Alain de Botton talks about a different way of looking at success. It’s a good video, Alain is a witty and amusing speaker. He got me thinking about this blog, and whether it has been successful.

It’s been eight months since I started this blog, and seven since I really threw myself into it at the start of the year. Over that time, I’ve produced almost 100 posts. But has the whole process been a success?

As project managers, it’s too easy for us to get bogged down in one definition of success – the same we use when we are dealing with projects. Did it deliver to requirements, was it on time, and so on.

But, of course, this blog isn’t really a project – for a start, it doesn’t have an end-date! I also didn’t set myself goals when I started it, other than writing about project management.

So when it comes to deciding whether it has been a success, it has to be a personal and relative judgement, not an objective one. And looked at that way, I’m pretty happy. I have indeed been writing about project management, and I like to think my writing has been getting better. There are now a considerable number of people who read the blog, and I thank each of you.

More importantly than the numbers and the writing, though, is that working on the blog has forced me to take the time and give myself the space to think more deeply about project management, and about what it means to be a project manager. I’ve clarified my own feelings on what is important, how we should handle teams and managers, and how to be more successful in our projects.

I’ve also had my eyes opened to new ways of sharing my passion for and knowledge about project management. I’m currently working on another project (this one really is a project!) to help me do this, and will be able to talk about this more soon.

I’ve also been lucky enough to share in a whole world of online project management blogging, tips, advice, podcasts, information and community. Project management can sometimes get lonely, and it’s good to remember we are all part of a global community of professionals.

So has it been a success? Personally, yes, it has. I’ve got a lot out of it, and I hope you have got something out of it too!