Press Play on Peace: PM Edition
I built a relaxation playlist for project managers and, yes, it’s mostly silence - because the real ASMR is stakeholders reading the brief. Imagine it: eyes moving left to right, a faint nod, no follow-up questions that begin with “quick thought.” Somewhere, a Gantt chart purrs.
Warning: Listening may cause spontaneous alignment, on-time delivery, and your Jira board to glow like a well-fed Tamagotchi.
Track 1: Stakeholders Reading the Brief
You hear a whisper: “Oh, page two answers my question.” Cue the strings. Then a chorus: “We’ll stick to the agreed acceptance criteria.” The timpani erupts when someone says, “No need to loop in the CEO.” (He’s on a walk. Outside. Touching grass.)
What’s our secret? Bourbon, regret, and paprika. No actually - clear requirements and five minutes of silence before the meeting starts.
Track 2: Scope Staying the Same
The music swells. You open the document and - plot twist - no surprise columns, no “tiny” add-ons, no “can we just” that adds six sprints and a nervous twitch. Scope stability is the spa day corporate budgets forgot. It’s like seeing a unicorn ride a scooter to standup, helmet on, PR approved.
Important: If you hear “tiny change,” immediately lie down and breathe like you’re deflating an air mattress.
Track 3: The Total Absence of Drive-By Feedback
No Slack pings at 10:59 pm. No hallway “quick thought.” No forwarded email with “Thoughts?” and seventeen logos in the signature. In this mix, feedback arrives on time, in context, and - brace yourself - with action items. Yes, we cried too.
What caused the miracle? A new policy, a sacred ritual, and a lock on the snack cabinet. No actually - a single intake form and a weekly review block.
Your 3-Step PM Serenity Ritual
- Pre-brief meditation: read the brief out loud to your houseplant. If it nods, proceed.
- Scope spell: write “No, because we agreed to X” on a sticky note. Use it thrice daily.
- Feedback funnel: one form to rule them all, and in the calendar bind them. (Mordor is your inbox.)
When Reality Fights Back
- Someone skips the brief (but compliments the font)
- “Just a thought” becomes twelve thoughts (and a mood board)
- Executive vision appears mid-sprint (wearing a cape)
- A partridge in a pear tree (seasonal, but persistent)
Breathe. You can’t control the storm, but you can color a very calm bird. That’s where I exhale: screen-free resets that actually reset. Five minutes of journaling in the Wonderful Stories Journal and my brain stops playing tab-Tetris. Ten minutes of coloring with the Birds Coloring Book and my kid stops asking why I whisper “scope creep” at the dishwasher. (We bond. The dishes survive.)
The Real Mix That Works Every Day
- Mini journal entries (portable sanity)
- Quick coloring breaks (finishable, actually soothing)
- Weekly newsletter prompts (gentle nudges, not digital yelling)
- Tea (and, once, a cookie the size of a KPI)
Yes, tools help. But the magic is tiny, repeatable calm. Screen off, shoulders down, pen moves, mind clears. More focus, better momentum, fewer midnight Slack haikus.
Callback time: remember Track 1? Stakeholders reading the brief? Start by reading yours - the one you write to yourself for the day. No cape, no chaos, just clarity. The rest hums along like a bird on page seven.
Ok, your turn - press play on the quiet. I’ll be over here celebrating scope staying the same like it just won an Oscar (Best Supporting Boundary).