I think it might be a little late to make new years resolutions for 2009, but I agree with Joel Spolsky and Seth Godin that having goals is an important part of improving and checking your progress. I have had some time to think about what I would like to work on in the next 6-18 months, and have come up with the following list:
- Write 50+ blog posts this year:
Having started the blog in May, I managed to write only 16 post, averaging about 2 a month. I definitely have a lot more to say, it just seems hard for me to find the time to write. I also still want to follow the reasons why I started writing here, which means it take even longer to finish a draft. I already have ideas for a half a dozen posts that I would like to talk about, and I think I just need to try and make more time for writing. You can also expect to see this space branch out into more areas like product or software reviews and how to guides. If things get too technical I may move them over to a CodeProject article, or maybe even try my hand a writing a technical book, but I definitely want to start writing more. - Become more social and active in the community:
I tend to spend most of my time reading, watching, listening, internalizing, digesting, and analyzing information, and I need to try and focus more on externalizing, communicating, and interacting with others. This is true for both the online community (blogs, forums, etc) as well as the real world community (friends, neighborhood, city, country, and the world). My goal is to start engaging more in discussions and joining groups that are of interest to help broaden my social circle and influence. Ideas that come to mind right now are tech groups online, bike groups in Salt Lake, and city counsel or HOA meetings where I live. - Exercise and be more physically active:
I have come to notice that I need to get more physical activity into my life. My goal for this year is to find more ways to stay active. Biking, Snowboarding, hiking all come to mind. I may finally cave and get a gym membership (could qualify for goal #2), but I don’t know if that is the right path for me. I did very well biking this fall, and felt that it was a great way to get exercise and get outside. This year I want to take longer bike rides, not just in the city but also up the canyons. - Fix my sleep schedule or go for a consultation:
I tend to have a very hard time getting a good night sleep, which leads me to staying in bed for very long hours and still not being fully rested. Some nights I have full on insomnia, which can then throw off both work and sleep for the entire week. While in college, I blamed school+homework+work+socal life as the problem, but after graduation I still have the same problems. If I can’t figure out something that works, then it is time to find some help. - Continue learning:
Just because I am done with school does not mean that I should stop learning. At work I have recently started taking on a lot more of a server management role, and I am starting to feel like I am in over my head a bit, so I hope to become a Microsoft certified DBA within the next 3 months. After that, I plan on continuing to take exams ever 3-6 months and work towards an MSCE. I also would like to pick up at least one new hobby this year.
Enjoy!
