Project Life Cycle Phases Explained Like Your Favorite TV Shows🎬

(Because Waterfall Models Are Basically Netflix Seasons)

Tags: CompTIA Project+, project life cycle, PK0-005, project management phases, beginner PM guide, IT certs, pop culture analogies, Gen Z project management

TL;DR (For the Skimmers in the Back)

• The five project life cycle phases are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing.

• We’re explaining each one using TV shows (because why not?).

• Yes, The Office, Stranger Things, and Breaking Bad are all involved.

Wait... What’s a Project Life Cycle, Again?

In project management, the “life cycle” is the blueprint for how your project goes from “great idea!” to “we did it!” (or… “never again”).

It’s like a TV series: every project has episodes (tasks), seasons (phases), and plot twists (scope creep).

In CompTIA Project+ lingo (PK0-005), there are five main phases:

1. Initiating

2. Planning

3. Executing

4. Monitoring & Controlling

5. Closing

Let’s break these down in a way that won’t make your brain file for PTO.

1. 🎬 Initiating – The Pilot Episode

TV Show Vibe: Breaking Bad, S1E1
This is the "should we even do this?" phase. You're defining the project at a high level, identifying stakeholders, setting goals, and asking the existential question: “Is this worth our time?”

• Kickoff meetings = plot setup

• Business case = script outline

• Stakeholder approval = greenlighting the season

👉 Key takeaway: No chemistry teacher turned drug lord? No series. No sponsor approval? No project.

2. 🗺 Planning – The Season Trailer

TV Show Vibe: Game of Thrones Season 2 Previews (Back when we still had hope)
This phase is all about mapping out everything. Timelines, scope, budget, risk management—you name it. Think Gantt charts, work breakdown structures, and risk matrices.

You’re basically storyboarding the whole season so no one gets eaten by a metaphorical dragon halfway through.

• Project plan = season arc

• Milestones = plot checkpoints

• Risk register = “who’s most likely to die first?”

👉 Key takeaway: If you don’t plan well, your project might go full final season of GoT—rushed, chaotic, and everyone’s mad.

3. 🎥 Executing – Lights, Camera, Action

TV Show Vibe: The Office’s “Diversity Day”
This is where it all goes down. You’re putting your plan into motion, coordinating teams, managing resources, and executing deliverables—hopefully with fewer awkward seminars.

• Team collaboration = ensemble cast in motion

• Status meetings = daily episodes

• Deliverables = actual scenes being filmed

👉 Key takeaway: Execution is where the magic (or mess) happens. Stay on script—or at least communicate like a grown-up.

4. 📊 Monitoring & Controlling – The Plot Twist Watchdog

TV Show Vibe: Stranger Things Season 1
You're watching for Demogorgons—aka project risks, budget creep, and scope explosions. You measure performance, track KPIs, and adjust like a boss.

• Change requests = surprise monsters

• KPIs = Hawkins Lab readouts

• Scope control = keeping the Upside Down from bleeding into real life

👉 Key takeaway: Even the best-executed plan can go sideways. This is your project’s security camera.

5. 🎤 Closing – The Series Finale (Please Don’t Ruin It)

TV Show Vibe: Parks and Recreation Finale
Wrap it all up, deliver the goods, review lessons learned, and send the team off to their next adventure. Bonus points for a wrap party (or at least donuts).

• Final report = the heartfelt monologue

• Stakeholder sign-off = fan approval ratings

• Lessons learned = blooper reel

👉 Key takeaway: Closing is about documentation, reflection, and ensuring you’re not just ghosting the project like an ex.

Why It Matters for CompTIA Project+ (PK0-005)

You’ll need to know:

• The purpose and tasks for each phase

• The key deliverables (like scope docs, project charters, plans)

• What can go wrong (scope creep, lack of stakeholder buy-in, budget overruns)

• Terms like “project charter,” “WBS,” “change control,” and “lessons learned”

And knowing how these phases relate to real life? Makes the memorization way easier.

Cheat Sheet: Project Life Cycle as a TV Series

Final Thoughts: You’re the Showrunner Now

Mastering the project life cycle isn’t just good for passing the Project+ exam—it’s how you go from “someone who does stuff” to “someone who gets things DONE.”

When you understand these phases, your projects become way more predictable, your team trusts you more, and your boss suddenly thinks you’re a wizard. 🧙

👇 Up Next in the Series:

🎯 “Project Roles Explained" and after that, "Scope Creep is Real: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Stop It Like a Pro” Coming soon to your favorite screen—with memes, obviously!