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Success Feels Good!
Issue #005
Date: 2 February 2026
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Hey there, Reader,
It's been cold down here in Florida the past few days! And if you are anywhere else in the US, it's been cold there too!
But within these cold spells across the country, I got a Linkedin message that warmed up my motivation. "Good news from my side. PMP certification, I got it".
Nothing motivates you more than a student messaging you to let you know they met their goal! See below for more about his story!
Next PMI-RMP® Course starts this Saturday! Sign up HERE.
Lets Get Proactive Over Reactive!
Quote of the Week
"I wanted to demonstrate to myself that I'm able, despite my age, to achieve another goal in my career. It's just a personal challenge."
-Roberto (Former PMP Student)
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Story of the Week
I was having another one of those days we all "love" as PM's.
Back-to-back meetings. Spreadsheets that seemed to multiply every time I looked away. The kind of day where you start questioning why you thought building a training business on top of a full-time PM job was a good idea.
Then I saw I got a messaged on Linkedin.
It was from Roberto. One of my PMP students. Writing from Italy.
And suddenly, none of the spreadsheets mattered.
Roberto is a working professional. He has a family, a demanding job, and, in his words, "a lot of things to manage." No one at his company was pressuring him to get the PMP. There was no promotion on the line, no ultimatum from his boss.
He did it to prove something to himself.
"I wanted to demonstrate to myself that I'm able, despite my age, to achieve another goal in my career," he told me. "It's just a personal challenge."
Here's what makes Roberto's story even more interesting: he didn't jump in immediately.
He found my YouTube channel from Italy, subscribed, and then... waited. He sat on my email list for a couple of months. Watched more videos. Read more emails. And then one day, he signed up for the exam prep course.
I asked him what changed. What made him finally pull the trigger?
His answer is something every person reading this email needs to hear.
The Advice That Changes Everything
"Fix the exam date," Roberto said. "It was very important for me. Because if you don't fix the date, January becomes February, February becomes March, and so on."
He scheduled his exam BEFORE he felt ready.
And then he studied with a deadline breathing down his neck.
This is Parkinson's Law in action: work expands to fill the time available for its completion. If you give yourself "until I feel ready" to take the exam, guess what? You'll never feel ready. There's always one more practice test to take, one more chapter to review, one more video to watch.
Roberto's other piece of advice? "Don't think to be perfect. In some way, you have to say, 'I have to do it and go.'"
He took two full mock exams. Scored around 70%. And then he walked into that testing center near Milan and passed.
Not because he was perfect. Because he was prepared enough—and brave enough to trust his preparation.
What This Means for You
If you've been sitting on the fence about getting your PMP or PMI-RMP, ask yourself: what's really stopping you?
Is it that you're not ready? Or is it that you're waiting for a feeling of readiness that might never come?
Roberto proved that "ready" isn't a feeling. It's a decision.
Schedule the exam. Hold yourself to that date. And then do the work to meet it.
This Week on YouTube: Hear Roberto's Full Story
I sat down with Roberto to hear his complete journey—how he prepared, what exam day felt like, and his advice for anyone thinking about pursuing their PMP.
If you're on the fence, this might be the push you need.
👉 Watch: "From Italy to PMP: Roberto's Certification Journey"
(Runtime: ~22 minutes. Worth it if you need proof that this is possible for you too.)
PMP® Exam Prep
Dates: 7-8/14-15 March
Format: Virtual, 8 hrs/day, Weekend Course
What's Included: All study materials, practice exam, 35 contact hours, application guidance, and access to me.
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PMI-RMP® Exam Prep
Dates: 7-8/14-15 February
Format: Virtual, 7.5 hrs/day, Weekend Course
What's Included: All study materials, practice exam, 30 contact hours, application guidance, and access to me.
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Check out my New FREE Community
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The Bearded PM on YouTube
Risk Management got an upgrade in the PMBOK 8th edition, learn more about all of it in this weeks YouTube video!
👉 Watch: PMP Exam Day Success: A New PMP's Story
Please don't forget to "Like" the video and Comment any residual or secondary risks you've have in your projects!
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44Risk PM Courses and More!
If you've been thinking about getting your PMP® or PMI-RMP® in 2026 (and you should - the market demand is only growing right now), below are your next chances:
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Free Training
Get my Free Training on What You Need to Know to Pass the PMP®.
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NEW Free Training
The Roadmap to the PMI-RMP® Certification.
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PM Dad Joke of the Week
Why did the PMP candidate finally schedule their exam?
Because "when I'm ready" wasn't accepting calendar invites.
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P.S. - Roberto found me on YouTube from Italy. The internet is wild. If you know someone who needs to hear this story, forward this email their way.
Russ Parker
Founder, 44Risk PM
PMP® | PMI-RMP® | PMI-ACP® | Retired USMC
PMI-ATP Instructor for the PMP® and PMI-RMP®
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