Skip to main content

Happy New Year Resolutions

imageHappy 2013! 2012 was a great year, and I hope that 2013 will be even better. To assist, I decided to create resolutions this year.  I don't usually create resolutions because I believe that they aren't maintainable.  Too often we hear of the gym membership that expired after a month due to disuse, the 20 pounds to lose that became 2 pounds, the bad habit that we were going to break... tomorrow…

But what I do like about new year resolutions is that the new year is a fresh start, a way to wipe the slate clean and wish for a better and brighter future.  To make sure my resolutions don't become those drift into the ether, I need specific tasks that will force me to accomplish this.

So with that optimistic outlook, my professional resolutions for 2013:

  • Blog twice a month. This will be my hardest resolution based on past history. ;)
  • Tasks:
    • Tell people I'm going to do this (DONE!)
    • Create an initial list of blog topics and dates - is there anything you want to read about?
    • Add task reminders to my RememberTheMilk list so that I don't forget
  • Learn more about PowerPivot, BISM, and DAX.
  • Tasks:
  • Learn more about Windows Azure SQL Reporting.  I haven't delved into the exciting world of Microsoft cloud options, and I want to be able to intelligently share the different options available to people.
  • Tasks:
    • Set up my own account to explore the options
    • Create a comparison chart of pros and cons for cloud versus traditional BI/reporting options
  • Explore EIM  integration of DQS, MDS, SSIS. Matt Masson delivers a great presentation that shows how to use these three products together to create an EIM infrastructure.  I believe the real power of these tools include using each product to create a full data ecosystem.
  • Tasks:
    • Find a realistic example and implement a solution
  • Employee Management Training. On the "soft skills" side, I need to learn more about management.  I've recently agreed to start taking on minions--er, I mean managing employees.  This is an entirely new skill for me.  Since it directly affects the development and career of others, I really don't want to screw it up.
  • Tasks:
    • Harvard ManageMentor training.  I am lucky to be part of a company that believes in training its employees by offering opportunities such as this.  I plan on utilizing this service this year
    • Read The First-Time Manager

I think that's enough to start 2013 off right.  What are your resolutions?
Jessica

Comments

Tim Mitchell said…
Good list! I share your struggle with blogging - I look at my own blog in years past, and I used to be much more active than I am now.
Chris Nelson said…
I'm going outside the SQL Server environment and spend time exploring data analysis with Python and Linux. There's some real nifty tools and utilities that merit some exploration.
Jessica M. Moss said…
Thanks everyone, and good luck with your own resolutions!

Jessica
Unknown said…
Dipping your toes in the management pool is a bold step.. I am on a similar path with my company and look forward to it but there will always be 'challenges' with taking this task.. I hope it doesnt stress you out too much.
Anonymous said…
You're a little behind on Resolution #1! ;)

s
Unknown said…
Managment? Nooooo!!!! They will take a little part of your brain!

I plan to post my resolutions soon too, and the short form is read and learn more/write more. The slightly longer form is to use my non-day-job-time to do what I love and stop doing stuff I don't love.

Happy New Year!
Unknown said…
Hmm, that "read and learn more/write more; do what you love" comment was from Louis (@drsql). Not sure how my Google Account came up as Unknown :)
Theron Knapp said…
Same resolution for 2014? Maybe just two blog posts for the year instead....
I look forward to something fresh as I click subscribe.

Popular posts from this blog

SQL Server 2016 versus 2014 Business Intelligence Features

Hello, SQL Server 2016 Yesterday, Microsoft announced the release of SQL Server 2016 on June 1st of this year: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2016/05/02/get-ready-sql-server-2016-coming-on-june-1st/ .  Along with performance benchmarks and a description of the new functionality, came the announcement of editions and features for the next release. Good-bye, Business Intelligence Edition The biggest surprise to me was the removal of the Business Intelligence edition that was initially introduced in SQL Server 2012.  Truthfully, it never seemed to fit in the environments where I worked, so I guess it makes sense.  Hopefully, fewer licensing options will make it easier for people to understand their licensing and pick the edition that works best for them. Feature Comparison Overall, the business intelligence services features included with each edition for SQL Server 2016 are fairly similar to SQL Server 2014.  Nothing has been "...

Is Data Science a Buzzword? aka: My first Coursera Course

Data science and data scientists are all the rage right now in the information technology space. Every company wants one; every job candidate touts they are one. But what actually does that mean to companies and potential employees? I decided to take a course on data science to see if I could find out! My co-worker, Gabriella Melki, recommended the Coursera Data Science specialization by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The entire specialization contains a set of 9 courses, but you can take each one individually. I started with the first course, called "The Data Scientist's Toolbox". Over the four week timeframe, I was able to view lectures and perform the assignments at my own pace. I've listed below my thoughts on the course and what I learned about data science. Week 1: Introduction to Data Science Data science is about data , specifically about answering questions, and science , following a method to discover an answer. A data scientist is the ...

Accidental SharePoint Designer 101

I fully profess to know little to nothing about SharePoint, but I occasionally get pulled into setting up little sites or adding web parts for some of my reporting and business intelligence work.  Each time, I have to relearn the start-up steps to create what is needed!  So I decided to record a few of my go-to places so I can remember next time.  I used SharePoint 2010 to document the below steps, but the directions may be applicable to other versions.  Also, these steps assume you have full control of your site. Getting Started The first step is start editing the page rather than looking at it like an end user.  Do this by: Select the Page tab at the top of the screen Click the Edit Page button/drop down list Select the Edit Page option PS. When you're done, do these same steps, except select the "Stop Editing" button. Content Creation You may need to create a document library, a list, or another type of container.  I ...