Many years ago, I was mandated to get PMP-certified by the company I was working for. It was a job requirement and part of the justification for the high rate I was being hired out to customers for. Even though I had tons of rich on-the-job experience, I found myself struggling to finish the reading material required for the exam. Omo!! It was plenty. To make matters worse, I’d already used the situation as a teaching moment to let my son know how important it was to be disciplined in prepping for exams, and pretty much anything in life.
As the exam day drew near, my heart rate increased. Unlike my younger self, I discovered that as I’d aged, my brain had somehow slowed down when it came to detailed reading. I’d formed a funny reading method where I skimmed through reading material, and this exam seemed to require detailed reading. The practice questions were tricky and more than one answer looked right. I started hyperventilating.
For me, failure wasn’t even about the organization and what they’d say – Heck, many people were known to fail the PMP on their first try. The issue became how I would face my son to tell him I didn’t make it. He knew the date already and was so enthused about my seemingly-disciplined reading rigor. Eventually, my prayer became “God, please let me not disgrace myself in front of this child. Please I’m begging with my heart and my soul. Do something, Lord”.
Why, Oh, Why had I told him about the exam? The dread, oh the dread, as the day approached.
The day came and I remember going to the center like I was going to the slaughter. I submitted myself, did the exam & waited with bated breath, pounding heart, for the result. With CBT exams, the results are instant.
Needless to say, the “CONGRATULATIONS” on the screen was more welcome than the one I got when I graduated University. The relief made me so weak-kneed. To this day, every time I see that certificate, I think of my son. This story highlights why having someone to hold yourself accountable to when you set yourself a goal is critical (like a weight loss goal or business goals as an entrepreneur). The key here being someone you respect deeply, and someone you would not want to see you fail.
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