There are lots of 'end of the year' retrospective blog posts going around. This smiley-infused, (and parenthetical comment-laced), one is mine. :-)
Professionally, this was a pretty decent year. I finally attended my first SQL Saturday (#42), and took a position with a new employer. This was a change from being on a team of three SQL Server DBAs to being the sole DBA for the entire company. Even though the new company is significantly smaller than the old one, the level of responsibility has increased as a result. While I do miss my old workplace, (Hi, guys!), I'm learning a lot in the new endeavor, and this is likely to become a trend. Good stuff.
Personally, I've been having a ton of fun with my wife and children. We spent a LOT of time at King's Island this summer, and the kids got to experience their first memorable hotel stay. They loved it, which was good. I, of course, forgot to pack my swimming trunks on that particular visit, which led to yet another fashion consultation by my wife. (Who I should listen to more than I should, when it comes to sartorial selection.) My daughter also had her first big roller coaster ride, which she loved.
Musically, I got a bit derailed this year. After a failed attempt at starting a band, I sort of dismantled my studio, and lost a bit of confidence in my abilities. Mid-way through the year, I got another offer for a vastly different project, and have done a little work on it - but my confidence still wanes, and that has led to few results. My tendency to want everything to come out as good as it sounds in my head (read: perfect) leads to a lot of frustration. So, I'm going to try to just start tracking things, and piecing it together, and whatever comes out comes out. If the reviews I usually get are anything to go by, then everyone else will probably like it, even if I think it sucks. :-)
Physically, I seem to have stopped taking care of myself. I'm not entirely sure why. For a while, I was doing good, then I just stopped caring about my own care & feeding. (Well, not so much the feeding part...) I can't pin it down to any one specific thing, so I'm just going to call it 'transition stress' and move on. Nobody's perfect, but in *decent* shape for my age, and things tend to ebb and flow throughout the year. I feel like I'm bouncing back, so I'll push the tempo and see where I end up.
Community-wise, I kind of dropped the ball on more than a couple things this year, specifically the podcast. We paid the price for it in lost subscribers and listener-ship. Later in the year, we did get things back in gear, and the numbers started going back up, but I would like to see more. We're making progress, but somehow it still feels slow.
So what's planned for next year?
Professional goal: Get a certification. I thought about going for the MCM, but to be honest, I'm just not interested in that particular certification right now. That and I don't have the cash. :-) I am thoroughly enjoying the videos, though, and will continue to do so. I will get a certification of some kind. Who knows - it might even be database-related. :-) This reminds me I should really stop by the library and pick up that copy of SQL 2008 Internals on the way home today. It's been reserved for me...
Personal goals: Try to play with my kids every day. Some days, this just isn't going to happen, but again, I'm not shooting for perfect. Just more regular time with the kids. Even if it's just discussing whatever they're doing at the time. Also, to become a better cook. (The call for recipes is open, folks!) Less frozen stuff, more fresh food. Not that I think frozen foods are bad, but cooking is fun. :-)
Musical goal: Finish 5 covers and 2 originals. Luckily, I have some help, if just in the form of inspiration. Sadly, I have not kept up my end of the deal so far. Time to get cracking.
Physical goal: Feel better. I realize this is kind of nebulous, but much of health is a mental, as well as a physical game. If I can do things that I know will make me 'feel' better than likely they will make me healthier as well. If I know that I'm about to eat something that will make me feel bad later, then maybe I use that as rationale to avoid it. This it the 'thought experiment' goal, but it's worthwhile.
Community goals: Get the podcast up to at least an average of 50 subscribers, and have at least one good interview per month. I think if we continue to do well, we can start shooting for bigger names for our interviews. I'd also like to see bigger community involvement for the organization, and will try to take more of a leading role in that.
Thanks for reading.
-David.
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