Project Management Skills Applied to Your Life
What if you could manage your personal life with the same precision that delivers billion-dollar projects on time and under budget? Ricardo Vargas, who has directed over $20 billion in global projects and served as chairman of the Project Management Institute, reveals exactly how to do this.
The secret isn’t complicated software or complex methodologies — it’s a surprisingly simple four-step system that transforms how you approach your goals, time, and priorities.
Why Personal Project Management Changes Everything
Most people drift through life reacting to whatever demands their attention. They set goals in January that are forgotten by March. They feel constantly busy but rarely productive. Sound familiar?
Vargas discovered that the same principles that keep massive international projects on track can revolutionize how we manage our personal and professional lives. The difference is intentionality — treating your life like the important project it actually is.
The 4-Step Personal Project Management System
Step 1: Define Your Success
Before rushing into action, get crystal clear on what success actually means to you. Vargas uses a simple exercise with post-it notes to map out different definitions of success across various life areas.
Ask yourself: What does winning look like in your career, relationships, health, and personal growth? Write each vision on a separate note. This isn’t about setting SMART goals yet — it’s about clarifying your destination.
Step 2: Map and Select Your Initiatives
Once you know where you’re going, identify the initiatives that will get you there. Vargas recommends plotting potential projects on a simple cost-benefit matrix:
High benefit, low cost: Your quick wins — prioritize these
High benefit, high cost: Major investments requiring careful planning
Low benefit, low cost: Nice-to-haves that can wait
Low benefit, high cost: Avoid these entirely
This visual mapping prevents you from wasting energy on activities that don’t move the needle.
Step 3: Create Your Tracking System
Vargas keeps it simple with a basic spreadsheet that tracks:
Initiative name and description
Target completion date
Current status
Weekly progress notes
The key isn’t sophisticated software — it’s consistent monitoring. “You manage what you measure,” Vargas emphasizes.
Step 4: Weekly Integration
Every week, review your tracking system and plan the upcoming week around your key initiatives. This prevents your important projects from being crowded out by urgent but unimportant tasks.
Vargas schedules specific time blocks for his initiatives, treating them with the same respect he’d give client meetings.
Making It Stick: The Dynamic Approach
What sets this system apart is its adaptability. Unlike rigid annual plans that become obsolete, Vargas treats his personal planning as a living document.
When COVID-19 disrupted everyone’s plans, he didn’t abandon his system — he adapted it. Some initiatives were paused, others accelerated, and new ones emerged. The framework remained constant while the content evolved.
Tools That Support Success
While the system works with pen and paper, Vargas recommends:
task management
Priority Matrix for organizing by importance and urgency
Simple spreadsheets for tracking initiatives
The tool matters less than the habit. Start with whatever you’ll actually use consistently.
Your Personal Project Starts Now
The beauty of this approach is its simplicity. You don’t need an MBA or project management certification. You just need to start treating your life with the same intentionality you’d bring to any important project.
Begin this week:
Define what success means to you in 2–3 key areas
Identify one high-impact, low-cost initiative for each area
Set up a simple tracking method
Schedule 30 minutes weekly to review and plan
As Vargas proved with billions in successful projects, the difference between dreamers and achievers isn’t talent or luck — it’s having a system that turns intentions into results.
Your life is your most important project. Isn’t it time you managed it like one?