When It Happens Twice: A Project Management Lesson from The Alchemist
Inspired by Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist “Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.” At first glance, this quote feels philosophical. But in reality, it is deeply practical, especially for project managers. In projects, nothing happens “just once”. Every repeated issue, delay, or success is a signal. - The first time something happens, it may be an accident. - The second time, it becomes a pattern. - The third time, it becomes predictable—unless we act. What This Means in Project Management Project management is not just about plans and tools, it is about recognizing patterns early. - First occurrence > Observation - Second occurrence > Warning - Third occurrence > Failure of learning Successful project managers break cycles before the third time. Connecting the Quote to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) 1. Requirements Gathering: The Cost of Repeated Assumptions First time: - Requirements w...