Obviously, with the start of the New Year, there will be a flood of posts on the blogosphere regarding resolutions to change bad behaviors and adopt new good ones; why should I be any different?  There’s lots of things I want to change about myself, and I figure I should put them out there and see how I’m doing over the year.  So, with little fanfare, here’s my list of challenges I plan to tackle for 2011 (broken up in to categories and subcategories for easy reference):

 

Professional

Technical Skills

• I want to learn something new every month.  My goal is to tackle something challenging, and be able to understand the ins and outs of it within 30 days.  For example, I want to finish tackling XML (including XSD’s) in SQL Server.
• I want to upgrade my certifications by the end of the year; I’ve been dancing around the MCITP exams for a while, and I need to finish them.

Presentation

• I want to make at least 6 technical presentations by the end of the year; last year, I managed to eke out 8, but given some of the recent changes in my personal life (see below), I think 6 is reasonable.
• I will blog at least once a month about some technical topic (see the first bullet point under technical skills).

Management

• I will understand the SCRUM methodology, and learn how to implement it with my team at work.  Although I’m not a team leader, I AM the Senior Database Architect, and I need to code less, and teach more.  This is my year to do so.

 

Personal

Health

• I’m getting married again this year, and I want to look good for my new wife.  I also want to avoid long-term health issues.  I was losing weight last year (until I started dating), and I want to get back on track.  I’d like to lose 50 lbs by October.
• I have apnea, and I’ve been horrible about using my CPAP on a regular basis.  I will use it regularly.
• I need to exercise more, so I will find 20 minutes a day to do SOMETHING, even if it’s just walking around the office for 20 minutes.
• I will drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.

Spiritual

• I’ve slacked off in my religious activities; my faith was nourished by church attendance during my divorce, and I need to start growing again.  I will find a new church in the next two months (my old church is too far to drive on a regular basis), and become a regular attendee.
• I choose to absorb the goodness from people who love me, and I will reject the poison from those who do not.  I will focus on the important things in life (like my kids, and my future bride), and worry less about the unimportant things (like who’s mowing the grass).

Social

• I will listen more to my children, my family, and my friends.  I will find ways to let them know I love them.
• I will nurture my own friendships; while I love my fiance’s friends and family, I want to bring more to the table than just me.

Financial

• My divorce pulled me way off course.  While I’m a long way from being out of debt, I will continue to make strides in that area.  I will pay off at least one credit card ahead of schedule.
• I will save more; I plan to find ways to cut costs (like taking advantage of coupons, and eating out less).

Anyway, there you have it: my New Year’s resolutions for 2011.  May it be a good year for all.