I am an IT manager who is truly a geek. I love all things technology and I am a fan of open source projects. Huzzah!!!

Jan 2, 2016

Not another New Year resolution…

So for a while now I have been trying to make something out of my self. I have been learning new programming languages and new technologies, but failing to follow through with any of them. I can tell you that I have been working on my own CMS for over a year now and am about where I started because I got bored. I have also attempted to get in shape, last year I lost about 20 pounds in 3 months then gained it all back and then some during the remaining 9 months. I have also attempted to start a blog as well as a podcast which lasted a couple of months. The bottom line is, I get bored real easily.

This following week I was on vacation and heard a podcast that I believe changed the way I am going to handle this year. I am not going to make any New Years resolutions because they just seem to fail, or at least I do. This podcast explained that I seem to be getting in my own way when it comes to reaching my goals, even if it seems as though others are. The guest on the podcast wrote this blog post http://bit.ly/1IK2LiK which as it seems I am struggling with the same thoughts. So here is what I am going to do this year:

First and foremost I am going to be a better manager to my team. It seems that I have lost my way. I have let complacency rule rather than my own values. I have learned though that if I serve my team they will produce better results, however there is also a fine line between serving and letting the team walk all over you. I feel that I have crossed that line out of sheer laziness. That being said for this new year I have a plan and will be implementing it immediately. I am sure my team will not enjoy this but some have already seen the “new me” in emails while I was on vacation. I am not going to let complacency rule my team any more!

Next I am going to actually complete my learning on several languages as I just want to do it. I have been working for years trying to learn one completely and have just enough to be dangerous on several. This is not something that I just merely want to do this is something I need to do. This has been a void in my skillset for years and it feels like a gaping hole in my life. Yes, I can go on with my life not knowing how to code but this has become a necessity for me because I made it personal.

Finally I need to get my work-life balance, um…well, balanced. I do not have a concept on how to do that as I have never had balance. It has always been work and then more work. I believe a lot of it has to do with fear. I am afraid that if I do not put work first then I will not have work. I know that is an absurd notion, however it has been engrained in my work ethic for many, many years. I am not going to let fear rule my life this year and hopefully by doing this I will learn how to balance work and life correctly for the rest of my working life.

I know that these sound like resolutions to you and after reading them I can see why this might be the case. Let me assure you that these are by no means resolutions as these cannot be broken. I have sent in motion everything that I need in order to make all three of these happen. Am I going to struggle completing these tasks? Hell yes; I might even fall off the wagon once or twice. That being said, I have a wonderful support team that will help me when it looks like I am going to fail and will hold me accountable so that I will complete my goals so that I will form new life long habits that I can pass on to whoever needs them.