As this year comes to a close, I find myself feeling a bit relieved over the dutiful sense of nostalgia I usually feel towards the end of the year. Particularly in the latter few months is where I have experienced a variety of unforeseen twists and turns that not only challenged my role as a marketer and project manager, but also encouraged me to take a step back and reflect on some of the decisions I made overtime.

Here are 15 mini lessons I learned in 2015 – all of which have helped me through my project management journey.

1. Plan and be honest about your goals. Planning is by far the most important phase of project management and probably the most under-utilized, especially when you’re running short on time, getting a project out the door or caught up in your next assignment. While we might not be able to afford ourselves the luxury of months and weeks of planning, I’d say at the very least, give yourself solid thirty minutes to think about some of the goals and objectives tied to each of your projects. Be real and honest about what you can achieve and what you can’t achieve, and take a moment to envision the outcome. If you can’t see the completed state, then you might want to rethink your goals.

2. Collocate and collaborate. Sometimes you just need to put the phone down and get up from your desk for a little face time with your co-workers. I can’t tell you how many times I’m looking at my screen and receiving emails from the person in front of me, behind me or just a few feet away. With technology at your fingertips, it’s easy to hit the return button or click send, and continue that email string. But if you take a moment away from your desk, you’ll often find that many of these exchanges are more easily resolved and better received in person.

3. Show, don’t tell. Raising your hand and appending your name by a task or an action item is the first step in moving a project forward. However, weeks later in your status meeting, it’s likely that you’ll find that task left unchecked and uncompleted for a period of time. I’ve found that commitment to an assignment is more than just raising your hand and saying “I’ll do it.” Whether the task is assigned to you or someone else, take some time to prepare those next steps and ask yourself a few questions: What is the scope of this project and is it manageable in the allotted timeframe? Is this something I can fulfill on my own or do I need outside resources to assist? Are there any dependencies that I need to be made aware of? What are the roadblocks (review cycles, cost, resource allocation, etc.) and who has the authority to remove those roadblocks? Chances are when you head into your next status meeting, you will have made some headway and be able to articulate where you are in the process of completing your task.

4. Break it down into smaller, more manageable parts. Projects come in a variety of shapes and forms, and looking at a project without unfolding all the tasks can be a bit daunting. My recommendation, if you don’t have a project management tool such as WorkFront (formerly @Task) or MS Projects, is to look at a project holistically and be able to carve out milestones. Within those milestones, you’ll want to be able to break them down further to the task level or create a Work Breakdown Structure, a deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team. This can easily be done with pen and paper, or in an Excel spreadsheet. By decomposing the project tasks to its lowest level, you and your team will be able to work against individual project tasks and view the project holistically.

5. Time-box it. Whether you’re putting together a plan or working on a project, you’ll want to allocate time for it and give yourself a proper deadline. When you create a time-box, you’ll want to make sure the task is manageable within the assigned timeframe, define the ins and outs of the project by giving the project or task boundaries, and be aware of current and next steps for each task you’ve outlined. Time-boxing is one of the primary steps to commitment, ownership and accountability – and it’s key for staying on task.

6. Take smaller strides. We all know the sky is the limit and while it’s great to think big, we might not always be able to indulge in additional budget, resources and time needed to take leaps and bounds. So go for the low hanging fruit. You might not be able to get another college degree, but there are certificate programs, specialized training classes and resources that can get you the same education as another degree or higher.

7. Use technology. Technologies constantly changing and evolving. Right as your learn about version 1.1, there becomes a version 2.2 or 2.2.3 or 3.0. I don’t about you, but it makes my head spin and it’s hard to keep track. But it’s there for a reason. Project management, video conferencing, automation, performance tools and hundreds of others are there to help you interact with the team and manage the day-to-day activities. Use it.

8. Don’t rely on technology. And here’s where I step on the brakes and say use technology, but don’t rely on it. When we’re sitting behind the screen, it detracts from the human side of project management. There’s no substitute for human interaction and team collaboration, so don’t let technology get into the way of valuable face time.

9. Be the change agent. If something’s broken or not working, fix it. Take the initiative to question how and why things aren’t working the way that they should be. Socialize that idea with others to see if they’re feeling what you’re feeling, and if they are, it might be time for a change. So be the change agent. What’s that saying? “It’s better to beg for forgiveness, than ask for permission.”

10. Go slow to go fast. There’s no doubt, as a project manager, you multi-task and juggle a myriad of projects. The likelihood of giving your undivided attention to complete a task is slim, thus making it easier for mistakes to occur and things to fall through the crack. The train is moving and it’s not going to stop for you, but sometimes you just need to take a step back in order to go forward. It can be as simple as taking a moment to double check your work or investing a good amount of time brushing up on a skill or acquiring a new one, but chances are you’ll end up with a far greater result than you intended.

11. Keep on learning. It really doesn’t matter what you learn as long as you keep learning. I enjoy taking classes, and take a couple of new ones every year, from cooking to knitting to aerobics to public speaking. The skills that I’ve acquired from each have all helped me through various stages of life. One key take-away from me is to have hobbies, passions and interests – and be curious.

12. Welcome failure. Mistakes happen whether or not we anticipate them, and they lead to the inevitable – failure. When you do fall, you’ll probably learn something new. You’ll find new ways to respond and approach the problem and related problems. You’ll prepare yourself for challenges to come and most importantly, you’ll bounce back. If anything, chalk it up to a learning experience. Plus, they also make for a great stories (way) down the line.

13. Be progressive and forward-thinking. While concentrating your efforts on the current situation, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and let your mind spin. That makes for a healthy brainstorming session and problem-solving tactics key to advancing towards your goals. It’s when we hover over the details and can’t see past the present moment or worse, dwell on the past, that we begin to limit ourselves and let the details consume and confine us. If it’s not part of the plan for tomorrow and the day after, learn to let go. Here’s one of my favorite sayings from high school, “Let go and let God.”

14. Say thank you. These two words are so simple, yet powerful and don’t get inserted into our vocabulary enough. Your next door neighbor who watched over your house, your friend who called and checked up on you, your co-worker who reminded you of your next meeting, your family who stood by you. Next time you see someone who’s made an impact on your life, say thank you and show your gratitude.

15. Perform a lessons learned or retrospect. Remove the finger-pointing stigma and the idea of the ‘blame game’ and you’ll come into these lessons learned meetings with an open mind. Listen to what people have to say about the project, and their interaction with you and the team. I’ve never walked out of one without learning something new about myself. Make sure to add these to your calendar.

This past year has proved to be anything but a slow and steady year, but I can certainly attest to it being a gratifying year. With that said, I’ll say good-bye to 2015.

2016, I’m ready for you!