Dear Fiancé, from Your Personal Project Manager (a.k.a. Life’s COO)
I saw a post on LinkedIn about marrying a Project Manager — It said it’s like having a personal Chief of Staff (COO).
And I thought: well, finally someone gets it.
Because let’s be honest — you didn’t just propose to me, sweetheart.
You signed a lifetime SOW (Statement of Work).
And I fully intend to hold you to the deliverables.
Before I dive in, a quick public service announcement: there’s a Glossary for the Brave Souls Who Married a Project Manager waiting at the bottom. It won’t save you, but it might help you understand what just happened. No change requests will be accepted after reading.
Vacation Planning (or, as I call it, “Phase Gate 1”)
Every vacation we take is meticulously scoped, budgeted, and tracked.
You may call it “spontaneous fun.”
I call it “a high-risk, low-clarity initiative with undefined success metrics.”
So yes — I built a color-coded itinerary, a risk log, and an escalation plan in case we miss our connection.
You’re welcome.
Household Budget = Balanced
You say “we’ll figure it out.”
I say “there’s a spreadsheet, tabs for each quarter, and a pivot table that says otherwise.” on paper, anyway (I’ll admit, this one’s more of an aspirational KPI) — even the IRS would blush.
Communication Style: Structured. Followed Up. Recapped.
You never have to wonder where we stand, because I send meeting notes after every argument.
Agenda, key takeaways, next steps.
I even highlight your action items in yellow.
Conflict Resolution (a.k.a. Retrospective)
We don’t fight — we hold retros.
What went well?
What could be improved?
What’s our action plan for future sprints (also known as “Tuesday”)?
Remembering Everything
Birthdays. Anniversaries. Car inspection dates. The dog’s rabies tag renewal.
If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t exist — and guess what?
It’s on the calendar.
Accountability & Progress Tracking
Every relationship decision is documented, approved, and baseline’d.
Progress is tracked in real time.
Our milestones aren’t just dreams — they’re roadmaps.
The “Love in Scope” Clause
Marrying a PM means structure, accountability, and calm in the chaos.
It also means I will absolutely schedule “spontaneous fun” two weeks in advance.
I will send you a meeting invite for cuddles.
And yes — there will be an agenda.
Because darling, I don’t leave love to chance.
I leave it to a well-maintained dashboard with KPIs for emotional alignment, conflict resolution velocity, and average cuddle throughput per week.
So yes, you didn’t just propose to me.
You onboarded with the PMO of Love — and I take SLAs very seriously.
But you’ll always have a partner who follows through, delivers on time, and loves with both precision and passion.
Yours (per the latest version of the Relationship Charter),
– Stacey, PMP®, CSM®, CSSWB®, and Fiancée Extraordinaire 💍✨
Glossary for the Brave Souls Who Married a Project Manager
