T-SQL Tuesday #014 – Resolutions

OK, it’s time for TSQLTuesday again and Jen’s making me write something since we’re hosting this month.  So the topic is resolutions, and that in itself isn’t a topic that’s near and dear to me because frankly I just don’t believe in them.  I don’t think you have to wait until a new year begins to resolve to do something you’ve been meaning to do.  In fact, that pretty much dooms you to not completing it because it takes more than the turning of a calendar page and a romantic notion to accomplish something.  If it were really that easy, you would have done it already so it wouldn’t be a big deal. 

Your new year can start anytime really.  Hell, doing a new year’s resolution doesn’t even line up with my review period at work, so if I relied on the new year to start something new I’d lose 3mos making good on what I’m supposed to accomplish for work.  People in IT quite often put personal goals in their yearly goals at work.  Things like getting certified, or perfecting a process, or taking management classes, etc are all things that are commonly found in your yearly goals at work.  So if you’re going to make some kind of resolution to do something, or to stop doing something, why not put it where it actually makes more sense… in your work goals.  Your bonus quite often relies on you completing your goals so it’s really the perfect place.  And it gives you a better excuse to have the resolution to begin with because you can use the bonus as motivation.

So even if you’re going to make a resolution at work, try to make it something you can actually do.  One of the biggest reasons for failure is someone will set a goal that’s completely ridiculous for them and when the goal starts slipping they get discouraged and just give up.  I’d like to get my MCM this year, but I don’t even have any of the lower certs yet.  Well, chances are you’re not going to make it dude.

With all that said here are my resolutions:

1. Try to have more patience with customers and vendors.
2. Get better with XML.
3. Study Oracle more.
4. Get more serious about learning Chinese.
5. Find a better balance between work and family.

I’ve also heard that a few of you have vowed to finally learn powershell this year.  That’s a fine goal and there really is no better time because there are plenty of people giving all kinds of free resources.  One of the things I’ve done is to go out of my way to create some good video resources for those who know nothing about it and want to learn from the ground up.  Here are a few direct links so you can get started without any further ado.

http://midnightdba.itbookworm.com/VidPages/PowerShellOverview/PowerShellOverview.aspx

http://midnightdba.itbookworm.com/VidPages/PowershellBeginningForDBAs1/PowershellBeginningForDBAs1.aspx

http://midnightdba.itbookworm.com/VidPages/PowershellBeginningForDBAs2/PowershellBeginningForDBAs2.aspx

http://midnightdba.itbookworm.com/VidPages/PowershellPSDrive/PowershellPSDrive.aspx

http://midnightdba.itbookworm.com/VidPages/PowershellProfiles/PowershellProfiles.aspx

OK, that’s all I’ve got.  Good times.

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