Recently we had the 60th T-SQL Tuesday blog party. This was hosted by Chris Yates, and had the theme of Something New Learned. That's a great topic and a lot of fun to write about.

There were some great posts, and while it's good to see people participating, it's also the chance for everyone in the community to learn a few things. I'd bookmark some of these posts, and across the next few months, read one and dig into the topic a little. Do you know about the PSR in SQL Server? Do you know how to determine who has access to what in your SQL Server?

These posts, and many other posts written for the various T-SQL Tuesday events are a great way to dig into a particular topic area, learn a few things and help guide your learning. There have been a few times that the topic itself has gotten me to experiment with some aspect of SQL Server prior to writing something, but you could just as easily go back and look at previous topics and start improving your learning.

While there are many sites like SQLServerCentral to help you learn new skills, it can be fun to pick a single topic and dive in for a few weeks, practicing using the skill to solve some problems. This might be a great way for those of you that aren't challenged at work to gain some new skills.

I've had far too many friends find the need to unexpectedly look for a new job in the last year. I never take my employment for granted, and it's one reason I try to continue to learn more about my craft, and build skills that might be in demand. After all, you never know when your company might make a change and you'll need to look for new employment.