Shooting Yourself in the Foot

Lit said it best in 1999: I am my own worst enemy.

Still, this post isn’t about my alcoholism and crawling through windows, or blacking out drunk in the front yard: I am trying to pull myself in too many directions.

It’s becoming a distraction. I have at least six books that I’ve started reading, decided to work on some personal coding projects that will probably never see the light of day (because I’m a tester, not a programmer), and accepting volunteering positions and activities that will inevitably become low priority to me.

So, here’s what I need to do:

• This month, I will finish Essentialism. That’ll be my one book. Carry it with me everywhere, and make sure I’m taking time on lunch breaks and after the kids go to bed to read it.
• Focus on technology that will move me forward. I don’t want to be a programmer professionally, so let’s stop spending time researching projects and start looking at things that will help me achieve career goals. I already understand most of the DevOps philosophy, but let’s get deeper in it. Automation is great, so let’s put it to work and gain deeper understanding of the “why” of it all.
• Let’s commit to two new blog posts on the above topics.

Also, school is winding down for my daughter, so that means we’ll be getting in the pool, going to Florida, camping, etc. In fact, we just bought a used pop up camper for that purpose. I need to make sure I’m maximizing Dad Time and really ensure that my family gets the best of me.