In an exciting turn of events, I will start working with a different platform team later this month. This change will continue to enable my plans of heading to Singapore next month for DrupalCon, and I am still looking forward to this. It will be the crucial goal for this month as time is still relatively limited to work on my ever-evolving presentation.
Because of such a change in my life, I wanted to mark it by outlining my strategy for the next few years to reflect on this and how I plan to measure these goals and celebrate this milestone.
I prefer to avoid dwelling on the reasons for this change. My forthcoming engagement has specific policies that circumvent the frustrations of the past. So, I’m relieved knowing these issues won’t bubble up again, and I am looking forward to a fresh start.
My road-map
Quantifiable metrics
I am switching to an evidence-based approach for quantifiable metrics.
Setting specific, quantifiable goals will allow me to optimise my commitments over time. There’s the added benefit of providing this information to the people who need it if required or if we decide to work together to improve the metrics over time.
I am already doing this with the use of my personal performance metrics project, in which I am measuring work performed on the Pygmy project, and all of my volunteering responsibilities.
Self-reflection
At virtually every point of my adult life, I eventually live to regret placing my trust in my career and training in the hands of my employers. I have grown, and I will not repeat this mistake.
I have some loose goals, and I will be independently reflecting on these factors regularly and feeding that into the dashboard I have built in the metrics I described earlier.
Self-reflection is essential for me to reach other dependent goals. I need to practice this more to be meaningful, so I aim to fix it by increasing its regularity beyond what is strictly necessary.
Kubernetes
As some interesting work recently has opened my eyes to the necessity of becoming better at Kubernetes Networking, I am studying for CKAD to fill those gaps and make way for CKS, which I am already optimistic about.
I am excited to get to work with Kubernetes again, especially from a development standpoint. CKAD will help to bolster my Kubernetes experience and specialisation, and it will pave the way for achieving CKS.
Financial goals
There are also some financial goals which I won’t discuss in detail here. These goals are something I was making progress on until recently. Still, I want to continue that process and protect myself and my family.
I still have a goal to reach by the end of the financial year, but I may have to postpone its closure by 12 months for unrelated reasons. I am eager to resolve this issue as it will provide opportunities in the future.
Volunteering efforts
None of my volunteering efforts have been affected, and I have been working on them. I can’t wait to see these efforts fulfilled - although I have not been able to campaign my election for the DrupalSouth Committee as I hoped.
Recently, I have closed off socially, where I usually am not quiet. This silence will stop soon.
Travelling
Outside of Drupal engagements and conferences, I will have a yearly budget to meet one of my goals. The goal is to travel somewhere new and different every year. There is ample opportunity, and the budget is flexible enough to cover a lot. Still, I will be contributing and volunteering as much as possible to help make this a reality.
Marking the occasion
Positive things about my progress I have heard from independent sources lately is that my public speaking ability has improved from multiple sources. I am both surprised and grateful for the feedback, so I will continue to gain experience in this field.
Many people at the company I am heading to have been competitors for some time but are also friends. I am optimistic about working with them again and seeing some of their faces more regularly. They are a good bunch of people.
I am not, for one second, saying that my former peers are not good people; I will continue to love and miss them, but this is the situation I am dealing with now.
My little tradition
Every November the 5th, I have a little tradition. I’ll watch a specific movie and envelop myself in the emotions portrayed in the film. I will usually enjoy this with a generous glass or two of my favourite whisky - which is one that can be incredibly hard to find.
Nobody reads this blog, and that is by design. It’s mostly here for self-reflection through-out my life. Assuming you’re able to read this as I am writing this on November the 4th, my next engagement has been formalised.
To celebrate the occasion, I will have an extra serving of this whisky and toast the occasion.
In conclusion
This announcement marks a dramatic change in my life, unanimously, but I am excited and looking forward to it. It is, as they say, the next chapter of my life.
As I write this blog post, my excitement is tempered until it is formalised.