Sunday, December 9, 2007

New Year's Dinner, Now with less chicken.

Straight to the point:

On November 30th, I made my New Year's resolution. Playing it safe, I've nailed down a few realistic yet vague goals for the year all premised under one theme.

I can only talk about my New Years resolutions after I've started or nearly completed that resolution.

I've decided, based on the coaxing of a friend of mine, that if I wanted to talk about a resolution near New Year's day without breaking my own rule about talking about New Year's resolutions I would need to have one New Year's resolution far enough along so I could talk about it.

Resolution #1: Work less and enjoy work more.

I've humped through my job 50 hours a week for the past 15 months. I do well, make good money, and like the technology industry. Some of the things I like most about the this industry are the people, the events, the ideas, and the renewal of knowledge. The last point, the renewal of knowledge, is the best. Once a technology is understood, a new technology comes out that is just as important. Like HTML, to PHP, to AJAX and onward.

My goal for the next year is to meet more technical gurus, learn more in depth technical elements that define the value in any business proposition, and get involved with it.

I've already started. I've knocked about 4 hours off of my work week by being out of the office at technology events. Last week I met Robert Scoble and hung out with the 6 apart, facebook crowd. TONS of fun.

Now number on to #2 --- what's it going to be? I'm almost there. Almost.

Investing in me: Steven B.

Consider this: my New Year's resolution.

Part of my primary resolution this year is to work less - any way I can. I don't mean do less an effective job or slack off, I mean do less of the things that I consider work. Here are a few of the things that I'd assume that people would have the strongest associations with Work. 1. Showing up at the office everyday, at the same time. 2. Meeting where people talk about nothing and accomplish nothing. 3.dealing with other employees that don't like their job and want you to know it every day. 4. hourly paid work weeks 5. having several unofficial bosses all who want to tell you what you are supposed to be doing. On and On and On and On.

Work is hard.

So, I want to work less.

I would like to work for 20 hours a week, and spend the rest of my time investing in myself. Fortunately, I like the technology industry and even if I was a plumber I'd still be involved in it. So why not spend the rest of my time learning and innovating in the technology industry. For the other 20 hours of my paid hours, I will focus on making myself a better worker in any way I can.

I would like to become the most efficient worker in my job that I can. This way, 20 hours of my week will be worth 40 of anyone else's. I'm already finding this to be very easy.

I'll tell you how it goes.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Tis the Season

So someone suggested they thought of the coolest Halloween Costume. I asked what it was. They said a Christmas tree. Well, well, well. Isn't that interesting.