There is a lot of advice out there about how to get more done and how to accomplish one's dreams. I know research has shown that when folks write down their goals, they are more likely to get them done, as I explained when I introduced my goals blog. However, as I was doing my cool down after a workout last night I was thinking about goals, and not the ones you put in the back of the net. What brought up my thinking was the fact that I had finished a soccer workout and my mind rolled back to the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was held here in the United States. The United States made it to the Round of 16, but we had drawn Brazil, the eventual winners. I remember that shortly after, Andrés Escobar was shot and killed back in Columbia. He had scored an own goal in group play, allowing the United States to beat Columbia 2-1 and advance (Columbia did not). Some believe that he was murdered for that own goal. Of course, we don't know the reason, but what I do know is that back then I was watching Tony Meola as the United States goalkeeper and envisioned making the US Men's National Team. I thought about the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which would be 12 years later, when I would be 32 years-old, a great age for a goalkeeper.
Needless to say, there wasn't much of a chance to accomplish that goal. I wasn't playing on my college soccer team and hadn't played anything other than intramurals since the end of the 1990-1991 season. And even that season, I wasn't the starting goalkeeper. I was the most polished with respect to skillset, certainly, but we had a great starting goalkeeper who was tough as nails and could get to balls I couldn't because he was significantly taller than me and had long arms to boot. You can't teach wingspan and size. I started at stopper instead. And I didn't see trying out as a walk-on my senior year as a real possibility because of my military assignment at The Citadel (Regimental Band and Pipes). So I wasn't playing, I hadn't played competitively in years, and there were others who were, either in top collegiate programs or professionally in Europe (such as Brad Friedel). It was a completely unrealistic goal.
So when we talk about setting goals, they have to be reachable. Goals should stretch us, but they need to be ones we can develop a plan for and realistically accomplish. For instance, if I were a junior DBA just getting started, it would be unrealistic for me to set as a goal to be a senior DBA in just a year. Part of being a senior DBA, at least in my humble opinion, is to have a few years of experience. You can learn a lot from books and articles and forum posts, but having been in the trenches, dealing with the pressure of getting production database restores done, handling a server crash, deploying a database solution on short (or no) notice, and learning to work with other technical teams can only come through doing. But what would be a realistic goal is to accomplish one of the MCITP certifications for SQL Server. That is certainly something a junior DBA can build a plan to accomplish, setting up time for training (if necessary), self-study, and taking the exams.
The other side of the coin is learning to adjust the plan for each goal as real life intrudes (because it will). For instance, I had set as this as a professional goal:
"I have written an average of 6 technical articles a month."
As I look at it now, I've done at least two each month. If you count a video at SQLShare (formerly Jumpstart TV), I've had two months where I've done 3 articles. That means to accomplish averaging 6 technical articles a month, I would have to write 72 - ((2 * 3) + (6 * 2)) = 54 articles in 4 months. That's 13.5 articles a month and if I haven't been able to break 4 yet, it's likely unrealistic to even hope to make that number. It's possible, if I write about 3 articles a week, but I don't think that's a realistic plan. I'm looking to up my article writing, and maybe I'll be able to average six each month for the remaining four months of 2009, but we'll see.
So to conclude, it's not just important to have goals and write them down. It's also important to develop realistic goals that are reachable. Goals that stretch us, yes, but goals we can build a reasonable plan to achieve. And we also must be ready and willing to change the plan as real life intrudes.
As I blogged about previously, I had decided to go ahead and pre-order the Kindle 2. It was slated for delivery on Thursday, February 26, but came a day early.I've had it in my hands now for two days and here are some of the things I've noted:
The Form Factor is Nice:
The form factor is small and handy. I found myself reading in bed and was able to easily hold on to the Kindle in one hand, even being able to navigate the pages fairly quickly.
The Text Is Crisp and Clear:
When I first saw the text, I was reminded me of the original Macintosh computers. My wife was quite amazed at how crisp and readable the text was. There is no glare. And you're not staring at a bright screen, like on a computer. It's very comfortable to read.
Ordering New Books Is Easy and Quick:
The first book I ended up ordering was A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer by John Piper. I wanted to see how quickly I was able to go through the order process. Searching was quick. Ordering was quicker. The one draw back we found is when you use the Kindle Store, you don't have a choice on how to sort. For instance, if you just navigate the categories, it sorts by Bestselling, even if that's not what you want.
There Is a Lot of Free and Inexpensive Content:
Because of the connection to Project Gutenberg, there is a lot of free content in the form of classics available. A lot of the classics are available inexpensively, too. For instance, I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo but I've always wanted to do so. If I go and buy the paperback in the bookstore it'll cost me $7-8. But I was able to get a Kindle version for less than $5. Also, I want to read The Three Musketeers, also by Dumas. That is available free of charge. So once I've read The Count of Monte Cristo, it'll be next on my classics list.
Pictures and Tables Aren't So Great:
While the images that are displayed by the Kindle 2 are great when it's in sleep mode, the images and tables for the two technical books I've purchased haven't been so great. Those books are:
When pictures or tables are zoomed in on, you must rotate your Kindle to view them properly, even if the image or table wasn't large enough to justify such. Also, thus far the images and tables have been a little faded and blurry, though still readable. For instance, there are tables that are composed of nothing but text. However, because they are in table format, when you zoom in, the crispness and darkness of the text is a bit lost.
Searching Is Awesome:
I'm a youth pastor as well as a SQL Server guy so having quick and easy access to a Bible is a must for me. You never know when you're going to get a phone call or a FaceBook chat or the like. I purchased the NASB translation of the Bible that was available through the Kindle Store because the sample was searchable. For instance, I taught a lesson Wednesday night on Ephesians 6:2-3 (Where Paul quotes from the Old Testament about honoring one's parents) and by searching on book and chapter, I could move around in the sample easily (though the sample was limited to the Old Testament). At first, when I downloaded it, I wasn't able to search, for it was indicating it didn't have the index yet. However, when I got up the next morning I tried it again and sure enough, it worked just fine. Jumping through text is quick and the search results return back enough around the searched for text to figure out if that's the right section. For instance, I just did a search for DBCC LOG on Kevvie's book and got back 23 hits. Some of the hits have DBCC and log separately, but I'm given enough context to see that.
eBook Quality Varies:
You can really tell what publishers thought about the medium and crafted their product accordingly. One of the books is obviously just a straight port from the print version. For instance, the font for the table of contents reflects what I would have seen in the print version of the book. That doesn't work so well in an eBook reader. Also, some of the spacing is badly off. I know it's not in the print book, which tells me it happened during the conversion process and wasn't cleaned up. Other books are nice. Everything is designed to fit well on the screen and to flow easily from one page to the next. I think as more and more books go to the Kindle and as publishers become more used to dealing with content for the Kindle, this should improve.
When the Kindle 2 was first announced, I debated about whether or not to get it. Then I realized I had to same sort of debate with myself over the Kindle, and that ultimately there were a couple of times I regretted not having gotten one. One of those times was over Christmas break when I lugged a whole duffel bag full of books with us on vacation for about a week. Some of those books weren't/aren't available on Kindle (and I was without Internet connectivity, meaning I had no access to Safari), but quite a few are. Another time was when my 11 year-old finished the paperback he had brought for what was supposed to be a long roadtrip. He thought it would be enough, as he had also brought his video game gear, but he wasn't in the mood to play games and burned through the rest of the book in record time. I would have loved to have been able to download the next book in the series for him and then hand over the device. But I couldn't.
I also kept up with what Andy Leonard and Steve Jones had to say about their Kindles. Steve, in particular, was who eventually helped me decide to go ahead and pre-order the Kindle 2 based on what he has blogged about his experience with the Kindle. Steve reads a lot of books. Certainly a lot more than I have time to read in a year. However, if I keep up with my goals for the year, I'll average about a book a week when you include technical, faith/theology, and personal/professional development. It would also be nice to get a subscription or two via the Kindle each day rather than consuming all of that paper. I'm slowly but surely doing away with my print subscriptions wherever possible. I have found that the magazines just stack up and I never get around to reading them in that form, simply because they are too bulky to carry around between home and work. So for those subscriptions I can get on Kindle, I'll probably go ahead and do so, depending on how well that feature works out.
So I'm looking forward to getting my Kindle 2 towards the end of the week. I agree with Steve that it looks to be more of an incremental upgrade over the original Kindle, and for original Kindle owners there's probably not much justification to buy a new one. I could look for a used one, but I like the smaller form factor. If it delivers on time, that should work out perfect. I don't have anything in particular for next weekend scheduled, so that should be a good time to put it through its paces, both for me and my oldest. My youngest son (almost 10) is currently reading Brisingr and he's got it in hardback. Since that's the only book he's reading right now, he can lug that book around until he's done with it. After he's done, he can take a look at the Kindle.
In addition to the reading list I'm still struggling to finish, I've always got other books partially started. Maybe that's why I have so much trouble completing the books on my reading list. Okay, it is the reason. It's one of those inefficient habits I've got to break. But I digress...
One of the things I've endeavored to do as I've gotten older is take time to read the classics. I remember hating this in high school and college because I saw these books as work I couldn't get out of, rather than literary pieces of art to be appreciated. Funny how a few years and a desire to write changes your perspective. Speaking of writing, every great writer I've read about giving advice about how to write says that part of great writing is great reading. Or better stated, reading great writing. Hence my pursuit of classical writings, even if it's fiction, like Of Mice and Men.
Of Mice and Men is a rather short book and it's easy reading. But one of the things Steinbeck does well is he uses descriptive language to set each scene or location. For instance, here is a sentence from the very first paragraph: "The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool." You get a picture in your mind's eye of the Salinas River, which this is a description of. Another thing Steinbeck does is he uses the language befitting his characters. As a result, you get a sense of each one based on how they talk. It makes for a clear identification of each character, even in a relatively short tale.
So this got me to thinking about my own writing. What about it is memorable and captures the imagination? Even in technical writing, this should be possible. Now the descriptive language may be over the top, but the way I write should leave a favorable impression on the reader. Part of that is about developing a writing style, but it's more than that. It's also about the way I choose words and constructs and examples. Do my examples accurately and clearly illustrate the situation I'm thinking of? Do the words I choose flesh out that example and bring a focus to the right aspect? Those of the kinds of things I need to think about as I write.
When I came home from work tonight, there waiting on my was my copy of Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administration from Wrox (link goes to Amazon). I'm not listed as one of the primary authors (so I didn't get my face on the cover), but I did update and add to chapter 9, Securing the Database Engine. It was great working with SQL Server 2008 and getting to write about the new security features found in it. One of the other things I tried to do was bring some of my systems/security architecture experience and look at the server upon which SQL Server is installed. So you'll find coverage about what groups to be concerned about as well as what rights (found in the local security policy) that you'll need to be aware of and why they're important. I also spend time talking about the SQL Server related groups and the normal permissions on the SQL Server folders and where you have to think about adding to that (such as protecting your backups).
If you're looking for the book on how to administer SQL Server 2008, here's the book you want. There are some great authors (Brian Knight, Ketan Patel, Wayne Snyder, Ross LoForte, Steven Wort, and Geoff Hiten) who contributed some great material. I am rather humbled to get a chance to write a chapter alongside their work.
I know, another non-technical blog post. But this one is career-related as well.
In high school I was introduced to William Faulkner, one of the greats in American literature. The president of the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics then, Dr. Lee Cox co-taught my 1st semester Special Topics in English class. He introduced us to Faulkner and I both loved and hated this American lit. giant. I loved him because his work was outstanding. I hated him because I was going to be tested on said work (and Dr. Cox was sure to test us in a way that proved we knew the work). Faulkner is the one who gave us the following quote, "The work never matches the dream of perfection the artist has to start with." As someone who has endeavored to write and improve my writing, I would agree wholeheartedly with Faulkner's view. So why write?
One of the biggest gaps technicians face is how to explain deeply technical problems and issues to less technical folks, whether they be end users, junior technical personnel, or management. When put on the spot, say at a project meeting or when something catastrophic has happened, if we've not developed an ability to communicate effectively our technical concerns in a manner which others can understand,likely we'll only make the situation worse. Been there, done that, and my dresser drawer is overflowing with the t-shirts. At times it's something I struggle with even now, even though I realize the importance of bridging the communication gap.
One great way to improve our ability to present technical things in a way for an audience to understand is to write. At first, writing about technical subjects for a technical audience is a good way to build our confidence and ability. It ensures we know what we're talking about. It helps us develop proper grammar, spelling, editing, and an overall readable output. Whether this writing be in email messages, in technical documentation, or in articles on a community site, simply practicing the art of writing with the intent to improve will help greatly. As we get better at writing in general, we can branch out to what for us are more difficult audiences, such as non-technical readers. The better we're able to communicate with those other than the "uber-techs," the more influence we'll have, the more our opinion is likely to be valued, and the more likely our concerns will be heard, understood, and respected.
So that's writing. How does that help with those project meetings? Well, the more we practice how we communicate, the better we get at it. Therefore, learning how to write well will help us speak well, too. And that leads back to getting our point across, having that point be respected and considered, and really, that's all we can ask, right? To further reinforce this point, I'll refer to one of the pieces of advice I was given by a Competent Toastmaster (now called a Competent Communicator) when I first started in Toastmasters: write my speeches down. His point wasn't that I write my speech and memorize it. Rather, by writing a speech down and practicing it from the written script I would become more familiar and comfortable with what I was going to say. And as a result, I would be better able to give the speech without notes. This is essentially what we do when we are on the spot at a project meeting. If we've taken the time to write out our concerns, our thoughts, etc., when it comes time to verbalize them, we'll be better equipped to do so. And the better we write, the better we'll speak.
To this end I'm endeavoring to write some every day. Monday through Friday I am committed to write a devotional based on my faith. I've been inconsistent in recent months and that needs to change. But I also want to ensure I'm writing a lot more professionally (and not just blog posts, either). And I want to work on personal writing projects, especially delving back into poetry. I've often heard it said that great writers write every day. I know that when I was at The Citadel and a member of the Regimental Band and Pipes, the band director, Major Day, brought in this tuba player who used to play with the President's Own. That old tuba player said the secret to his success was practicing every day. Practicing, even if it was for as little as 15 minutes. Practicing, even when one was sick and didn't feel like it. This kind of ties in with Steve's editorial and I think that's what spurred on this post. But in any case, I want to make sure I'm writing in at least two of those channels each and every day. Even if it's for only 15 minutes. To go back to Faulkner's quote, our work may not match our imagination, but still, we must endeavor to keep trying for that dream of perfection. It's the only way our work will ever progress towards what we see in our minds' eyes.
Technical: Counter Hack Reloaded by Ed Skoudis with Tom Liston
It's a security book and I'm rather late getting a review of it written for PASS. Ed Skoudis is also a well known instructor in the security field and considered an expert by many. Therefore, anything that makes me sharper on security in today's uncertain world is a must.
Personal Growth: The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott (not the ESPN analyst)
This book presents a Biblical based account on how to be a better husband. Servant leadership, sacrificial love for one's wife, and setting the example in humility, gentleness, tenderness, but also strength and courage are the marks of a husband who strives to follow Christ's example. This is very different than how some present the role of the husband, but it's very much in line with Scripture. Anything I can do to be a better husband to my wife is something I need to do.
For Fun: Complete Defense to King Pawn Openings by Eric Schiller
I despise the Caro-Kann when facing it over the chessboard. It's a solid opening and it has always given me fits. Since I'm primarily a 1. e4 player as White, I must be prepared to face it. So I'm looking at it from Black's perspective to understand where the problem points are so I can both teach it to my oldest son (it matches his style of play) and attack it in over the board play.
It's been a while since I've written a blog post that wasn't a user group announcement. Here's what I've been up to:
In the next week or so I hope to get back to posting regularly again.
SQL Server MVP Frank Kalis has posted a short review on How to Cheat at Securing SQL Server 2005, a book I was able to contribute two chapters to last year. The chapters I focused on were related to Authentication and DDL Triggers. It was a great experience and I am humbled by the positive review from Frank. I first met Frank on the forums at SQLServerCentral.com and he is one of the most knowledgeable and helpful people I have had the pleasure to interact with. You can find his review at SQL-Server-Performance.com:
Review: How to Cheat at Securing SQL Server 2005
For those who understand German, Frank's original review in German can be found here:
InsideSQL.org: How to Cheat at Securing SQL Server 2005
Back in 2000 I began writing for swynk.com in hopes of learning more about SQL Server and beginning to make a name for myself in the SQL Server community. That was a little over seven years ago. As SQLServerCentral.com came online, I transitioned to it, writing articles and contributing heavily in the forums. Opportunities abounded from this effort, with the chance to write an eBook, the chance to become a regular columnist for SQL Server Standard Magazine, and later a chance to become a co-author of an in-print book, How to Cheat at Securing SQL Server 2005. In this past year, along with the help of some awesome folks, I've worked to start a Professional Association of SQL Server official chapter here in Columbia, SC. Certainly some of my goals in leaping in to swynk.com way back when have been accomplished: I've learned a lot more about SQL Server and I've gotten my name out a bit in the SQL Server community.
But I don't believe those reasons are the most important ones for participating in a community. Over these last seven years here is what I've concluded upon as the most important reasons to participate in a community:
Friendship:
Because of my participation in the community, I've gotten to meet some awesome folks in person that are as passionate about SQL Server as I am. I've also developed friendships across the wire with other awesome folks who, if it were not for the community, I would never have crossed paths with. These folks are geographically dispersed around the globe. And from them I gain differing perspectives not only on SQL Server, but about the world in general.
As I have started to learn more about MySQL, I have found an awesome community there, too. In this community I'm still very much a newbie. I'm not at a point where I can contribute much like I can on the SQL Server side, but through reading articles, forum posts, blogs, and the like, I'm building up my MySQL knowledge. In addition, I've had the opportunity to trade posts and emails with a few folks and that's usually the start of relationships which lead to lasting friendships.
Helping Others:
There is a selfish side to helping others, and that's the feeling we get when we know our efforts have benefitted another. It's a great feeling. Anyone and everyone can contribute to a community and help others. One doesn't have to be an expert or "guru" in the technology to get someone going in the right direction. Most of us with thousands of posts in a particular community started out new and green and we learned more as we attacked the problems others were having. That enabled us to be able to more quickly help others with similar issues as well as giving us insight as to where to start for a newer problem. And as we help others, our own skills just happen to improve as well. That's probably why SQL Server expert, MVP, and Microsoft Regional Director Kimberly Tripp titles her blog, Improving *my* SQL skills through your questions!
Getting Help:
When you're stuck in a ditch, the documentation doesn't help, and you don't know where else to turn with a problem, there's always the community. Likely someone in the community has seen the issue you're experiencing and either has come across a solution or can explain why there isn't one. Quite often this can save you and your organization money as it precludes the need to have to contact support. Or it confirms such a decision to make that support call. I cannot count the times when I've come across an issue and either posted in the forums or contacted someone in the SQL Server community I thought my have the answer and then received the details I have needed.
Through the SQL Server community I've also found support on a personal level unrelated to the technology. It wasn't too long ago when my baby daughter wasn't growing and the doctors were trying to figure out why. Steve Jones (recently awarded a SQL Server MVP) offered me an opportunity to do some writing to make some additional money to offset expenses. This is just one of several times someone in the community has stepped in and made a difference in my life.
Just Do It:
Back when I was going through Air Force Field Training, Nike had a slogan, "Just Do It!" Needless to say, that became the slogan at my field training (1993, Sheppard I). When it comes to getting involved in a community, that's the attitude to take. Lack of experience is never a reason not to participate. The rewards, in my own experience, have greatly outweighed the effort I've put in to a community and I've found similar sentiment with those who I've talked to about it. Communities can easily become greater than the sum of their parts. There's never a bad time to get started in a community. The sooner, the better!
