Slightly late to the party in doing this post, but never-the-less, here it is. In many ways I started this blog to increase my professional endeavors as well as to share things I find interesting about the Art of Software. Given the former reason here are my goals I plan to complete on this front this year (along with a couple of personal goals as well). In no particular order:
Finish my Thesis: I’m a thesis away from finishing my Masters Degree in Computer Science and Business Administration. My thesis focuses on entrepreneurism involving cloud storage. I’d really like to launch the product I’m creating along with finishing my thesis, so this could be a double whammy.
Blog Twice a Week: I’d like this blog to be consistent. Life does happen, as it did this previous year, but I’d like to set a goal of at least posting twice a week.
More Social Networking: These are pretty low goals really, I’d like to get my LinkedIn connections up to 50 and Twitter followers up to 50. Both should be easily attainable.
Certify in SQL Server 2008: I wrote previously about how I’m working on my first certification and this is the year I plan on getting it.
This next one is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, and looking at the first and fourth goals I’ve set above I’m really putting myself in over my head I think, but still, if you don’t just try to do it, it’ll never get done:
Write a Book: I’ve always wanted to write a book. And lately I’ve wanted to write a technical book. I’m not going for an 800+ page tome. But setting my goal on 200 or so pages and will either publish it as a free or paid for eBook. I feel that’s a good place to cut my teeth on writing a book. I’ve done technical writing as a profession so I know what’s involved, but I’ve never been published and I’ll have to be my own editor. Hopefully, I can find a few people to review it for me before I release it. Likely subjects are something on SQL Server 2008, though on what I’m not sure, or what I’m a bit more interested in at the moment is writing a book on Mono’s implementation of MVC.
To finish things off here are a couple of personal goals to add to the list.
To spend more time with my family: Losing my Dad this year really brought that into focus. I’ve already been pretty good at this, but I don’t want to let time slip by, so set it as a goal.
Trim 20% off my time for Bloomsday, a local short race in Spokane, WA my family does each year. Last year was our first year where we were not at the back of the pack pushing our kids in joggers. So I think this year I’ll actually train a bit and push my time down. That’s only 12 minute miles, so I think I can do that.
Well there’s my year, I think my theme this year is to “Finish and Improve”