Search results matching tag 'Resolutions'

My New Year's Goals 2013

drsql — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:17:21 GMT

So, I have completely given up on my new year starting on Jan 1 where blogging/writing/community is concerned. I love the holidays WAY too much, and I love football (of the American variety with the oblong ball, of course) WAY too much, and so, that is why this year I waited until after the Super Bowl to get to this point (this was supposed to be posted last week, but #1 on the list got in the way!).

Last year, I promised to do some things in my resolutions, and because I failed on one (1. get the book finished quickly…it took forever due to unforeseen circumstances), and overly succeeded (time wise) on another (4. I did two pre-cons last year), and both of these took a lot out of me! This year, no book riding my back (yet), but I do have several projects on the way that I will announce later in a more grand way (very exciting stuff to me for sure).

This year, my goal is to get my community involvement right! I love the community, but sometimes I feel like it is crushing me. I don't want to be one of those people who quit the community, because I do love it and with my daughter grown up now, I have a lot of time to work on it. I enjoy the community so much, and I consider the PASS Summit part of my holiday season, and the people at the Summit a bit like family. So my goals for the year are to keep involved, but to make sure it is reasonable. So I present my 10 things goals for this next year.

Get healthy. Since I started this blog entry, I had a very minor (yet extremely painful) health issue that was a wake up call (hint, minimally I have to drink a lot more water!) I have spend far too much time writing and speaking (and worrying about writing and speaking) and not enough time working on what matters (and sleeping, need more sleeping too!) I don't want to miss these two growing up and if I have to drop out of the community to make that happen, I will.
Do stuff that I want to do, the way I want to do it, (but better). While I have always wanted to be an entertaining and educational speaker (Tom LaRock and Karen Lopez are great examples of this kind of presenting,) my actual presenting style is far different…more straightforward teaching, heavily scripted and heavily practiced. When I get it right, it works, but I constantly try to do far too much in the time allotted, and my nerves can get the better of me when I go off script. (I used to say "as a speaker, I am a good writer," and this is why. As a writer, I can edit myself multiple times!)
Get in a writing rhythm. Last year, I finally got my What Counts for a DBA series flowing, and this year I am adding a series on SQL Server metadata to the mix to my Simple-Talk blog. I will also try to put up a few blogs about other SQL Server/Design/Professional Development stuff here on SQLBLog too. All of this is leading up to more books in the future…so getting back into a rhythm and trying out new material is very important to the process of writing books for me.
Stay working in the MSDN forums. I have recently gotten back and active in the Database Design Forum and I plan to keep up answering at least all of the questions I can in that forum and perhaps others.
Always put in Database Design sessions when I submit to speak. It is what I really love to talk about, and even the SQL Server metadata series is based somewhat on the idea of being able to figure out a design that has been implemented.
Get a good development session written/practiced. Last year I wrote a session on sequences that I think was pretty good (worst feedback was that I tried to do way too much!) but really didn't resonate with anyone yet. I also did a trigger session at PASS that I have heard was good content, but needs some organization. I am reworking that one into a session I am going to call "How to Write a DML Trigger" (in slight homage to the series of Goofy shorts where you are taught how to do something, but with less dog carnage), that will start at the beginning and work to the existence of a trigger that does some realistic task.
Speak online more. Speaking online is actually quite comforting for some reason to me. I don't like not being able to get crowd feedback, but at the same time, not expecting feedback keeps that one frown (or two or twenty) from getting in my head and keeps me on my practiced script. I am going to finally start hosting my own practice sessions sometime this year as well. So before I debut a session, I am going to do an online practice session; and before a big conference (SQL PASS or Devlink are my two typical examples) I am going to review the material on my own livemeeting connection with an hour or two warning via twitter.
Actually blog about devices. Yeah, I love devices and I am contemplating my first tablet purchase this year. I really need to talk about them more than just in tweets, as devices/gadgets are what allow me to have the lifestyle I have as a highly mobile telecommuter.
Volunteer with PASS in some capacity. I feel like I need to do more for the community than I have been, as such, I am going to volunteer for one or two committees. Last year I volunteered for the selection committee, and was the #1 vote getter who lost :). I may try again, and I have volunteered for another committee too. If I don't get in either one, so be it. I do have plenty to do, but I want to get a bit more involved, perhaps to some day run for the board again, once I feel like I am ready.
Something I am not yet ready to announce. (and if you are my employer, I am not leaving you, relax :)) But it is something exciting to me, and hopefully you too.

Most of all, on average, have fun doing what I am doing. This is my hobby, and not currently my career. If I stopped blogging/writing/speaking my life would not change tremendously except that my Lego collection wouldn't stare at me longingly as I walk to my writing chair. At the same time, I would truly miss sitting here at my TableMate II destroying the keyboard on yet another laptop, and even more I would miss the people and experience of all of the conferences I get to attend.

I won't lie, often this keyboard is a drag to look at, but just as often it is a true joy. As long as I feel like the focus of Pete Townshend's Guitar and Pen:

"When you take up a pencil and sharpen it up
When you're kicking the fence and still nothing will budge
When the words are immobile until you sit down
Never feel they're worth keeping, they're not easily found
Then you know in some strange, unexplainable way
You must really have something
Jumping, thumping, fighting, hiding away
Important to say"

I am going to keep writing and speaking… I really just have to.

2012 Blog Resolutions

drsql — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:20:34 GMT

I skipped last year making blog resolutions, but this year I need to get myself back on the straight and narrow and encourage myself to do a few things.

1. Finish my book quickly and efficiently – Well, duh, I supposed, but the quickly and efficiently is the biggest important part. I have no idea when SQL Server 2012 will be released, but with RC0 having been publicly released, it isn’t going to be SQL Server 2013 now is it?

2. Blog regularly – Note I didn’t exactly say more, but I do want to be regular. Perhaps a substantive blog (more than telling people about some event) once a month here on SQL Blog while working on a book, and 2 or 3 times otherwise. On simple-talk my goal is to average 2 What Counts For A DBA blog entries.

2.1 Blog about my other (computer) love occasionally – I love gadgets (I now carry 6 music/video players, including 1 Windows Phone 7, 4 Zunes, my new Android player, and a Nintendo 3DS) and software (user interfaces are my favorite pet peeve), and I occasionally I feel like talking about them.

3. Do 1 or 2 new presentations, and reduce doing the ones on database design. I love talking about database design, and I will still put my main db design session in for conferences, but I have 3 new ideas for sessions that are about 50% code and 50% design (for example, a session on triggers, which I want to show not only how they can be used, but why they should be used (or honestly not be used, which is a far larger list indeed).

4. Develop and present a DB design a variable length (1-3 day?) seminar. I am pretty happy how the book is organized, based on how I forced myself to work on it this time. I had a bunch of ideas how I wanted to change things us and shorten the book, but during the process, I realized the natural progression of how it ought to be done. I feel like it translates well to a class, even a bit more than the pre-con I have written that I did for the Orlando SQL Saturday (and which I will be happy to do for any SQL Saturday for any size group (I don’t care so much about making money, as long as my expenses are covered after the room is paid for…though I wouldn’t mind making a buck :)

5. Get more involved with our local group. I attend, I help out, I did some work with trying to SQL Rally in Nashville, but I think I could do more to help out there. It helps that I work with Christine Leo, Kevin Kline, and Joe Webb, all super dynamic folks who kick butt.

In my personal life, I have to make a number of changes that are probably apparent to anyone who has met me or seen a picture of me… That will probably be the hardest of them all, though possibly the most important.

Wow, looking at the list I realize why I stopped making resolutions… Maybe I should just resolve to go to Disney World more? Well, that would be way too easy!

T-SQL Tuesday #14: Resolutions

AaronBertrand — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:18:00 GMT

This month, T-SQL Tuesday is being hosted by freshly minted MVP Jen McCown (blog | twitter), and her topic is "Resolutions!" I already gave a rough sort of overview on my goals for 2011, but I thought I would be able to dig a little deeper with enough relevance to participate. So with that in mind, and with a goal of not setting the bar too high, here are a few of the resolutions I hope to achieve in 2011:

To become better at PowerShell

Not just because all the cool kids are doing it, but because I truly see the value in automation and scripting. I am currently working on an intensive project which involves running workloads, gathering performance counters, measuring wait stats, and bulk loading all of the output into a database for analysis... previously I was using a hodge-podge of PowerShell, LogMan, VBScript and SQL Server Agent, and I am begrudgingly consolidating everything to PowerShell. I like the results, but I am not all that comfortable with the learning curve. And I am finding some frustrating things missing along the way. For example, Export-CSV can only export to a new file - they forgot to support append. There are workarounds, sure, and the bug is closed as fixed (albeit, with no comment, so I'm not sure exactly what that means). Still, even if we get an enhanced Export-CSV function in PowerShell 2.5 or 3.0, this seems like core functionality that should have been there from the beginning.

To have faith in Connect again

I go through cycles... I love Connect, then I hate it, then I love it, then I hate it again. I'm in the not-so-positive camp right now, for a couple of reasons: (1) I'm seeing way too many easy fixes being thrown out the window for Denali, because it's too late in the cycle or because they aren't considered important enough, and (2) the quality of the communication from the product team is at an all-time low IMHO. Several folks have tried to encourage me to keep at it, and even to push Connect harder because now is the time that it will count... but I'm finding it difficult to come around. I am contemplating resurrecting last year's Connect Digest blog series, even after some MVPs kicked me in the junk about it, but I think that will come down to both time and motivation. For the motivation side I think I need to see a slightly better effort on Microsoft's part - no more form responses, no more closures without a comment, and no more ignoring items for three years.

To practice my presentations more

Brent Ozar (blog | twitter) had a great post today, entitled "How to Rehearse a Presentation." He has some great thoughts in there, and while - with all due respect - there's nothing truly rocket science about it, it is very useful to see it all in one cohesive place like that: it makes it very easy to identify which steps I'm currently NOT performing when preparing for speaking events. The point that best hit home for me was to consider each audience member's time at an hourly rate, and that anything less than stellar is a disservice to them. I have several engagements on tap in 2011, and I'm going to strive to make each presentation better than the last - and not to treat them like my own personal Toastmasters meetings. In a conversation today I identified some of the key points I need to work on to improve my presentation skills, and that's as good a start as any.

Goals for 2011

AaronBertrand — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:48:00 GMT

I was tagged by Denis Gobo (blog | twitter) in a Review of his 2010 Goals. I didn't make such a post last year at this time, so I had nothing to check against. But that doesn't mean I can't start with my goals for the coming year, right? A few areas come to mind:

Speaking More

I have set a challenge for myself to speak at 10 events this year. So far I have submitted sessions to the following, or plan to do so when I can; at least one is already confirmed:

SQL Saturday #60 (Cleveland, OH, February 5)
SQL Saturday #65 (Vancouver, BC, February 26)
SQL Saturday #67 (Chicago, IL, March 26)
SQL Saturday #71 (Boston, MA, April 2)
SQL Bits #8 (Brighton, UK, April 7-9)
SQL Rally (Orlando, FL, May 11-13)
PASS Europe (Berlin, Germany, ???)
PASS North America (Seattle, WA, Oct 11-14)
SQL Connections - Fall (Las Vegas, NV, ???)

Blogging About the Same, Give or Take

I plan to continue blogging here at sqlblog.com as frequently as I have over the latter half of 2010 (I was pretty busy and stressed for the first several months). I am going to try to maintain a better average than I did in 2010 (~10 blog posts per month). I'd like to do more personal blogging, but there are only so many hours in the day, and only so many of you willing to tolerate missives about my own life - so I'm not going to set any false hope there. I also plan to keep up my submission pace of 2 tips per month to mssqltips.com.

Reading More

I need to read more. I just started reading a Christmas gift, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. As an avid dog lover, I am sure this is going to be an emotional roller coaster I am not prepared for; hopefully reading more will raise my tolerance over time. I think I should get a kindle or a nook though, as I'm horrible at keeping my page...

Walking the Dogs More

I'm one of those lazy people with a fence - so instead of walking my beagles multiple times a day, I just open a sliding glass door and let 'em rip. The problem is this isn't enough exercise for them or for me - I need to get them out more. I'm not talking about the obligatory walks around the block, though I need to do more of those, too. I'm talking about the day trips where we go hiking in the woods. We went on several hiking trips over the last few years but we very rarely bring them. I think we can try for a better record this year.

Attending More Sporting Events

Since Nicole and I both love hockey and football, I'd like to make it to more live games. Last year we went to the Winter Classic at Fenway, the Olympics in Vancouver, and the playoff game that New England lost within a few minutes of the first quarter. So it will be a tough year to beat. We won't make it to Winter Classic, and I reneged on a 10-pack of Bruins tickets - including games against the Leafs and Habs. But we are going to a World Junior medal round game next week - we have no idea who will be playing, but I've always wanted to go to the World Juniors, and have always made excuses. So we're off to a good start this year.

Preparing for the MCM

I don't think I'm going to go for it this year, but I would eventually like to go for this certification, even if it means I first have to obtain some of the other certifications that I don't value all that highly. That means I've got some non-fiction reading to do, too. I know what I know, and for the most part I know what I don't know, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding (or I guess, as Bill Cosby would say, the proof is in the pudding pop).

Working Smarter

As you may have read back in October, I shifted gears in my career and took a new and radically different position with SQL Sentry. I want to continue helping them strive to be the best SQL Server software vendor, period. In November, our Performance Advisor software won the Best of Show at SQL Connections; we also released a free tool for the SQL Server community called Plan Explorer, which goes above and beyond Management Studio (and any other alternatives) in helping analyze execution plans and determine the source of performance issues. We have an imminent new release of Performance Advisor with plenty of enhancements and new features, several projects on the go that will help solidify our spot in the 3rd party vendor landscape, and I have some ideas for shaking things up a bit more in 2011 and beyond - so stay tuned!

Keeping in Better Touch

Yesterday I went to lunch with a friend from Nipissing University who now lives in Sundridge, Ontario. I couldn't believe that it had been several years since we had seen each other in person. I need to be better about keeping in touch with all of the people in my life, past and present. I have a few people who I think about a lot, but unfortunately it doesn't get much further than that and an annual Christmas card. While I will be traveling a lot more in 2011, I do hope to make more out of both my trips to Canada and my spare time at home.

A lot of these goals are hard to quantify, and if there's anything I learned in my previous job, it's that managers really love to have goals that are measurable. In this case I'm just going to have to use these points as a rough guideline over the next year, but hopefully I will end 2011 feeling very good about the goals I set and the success I had in reaching them.