[Note: This and all posts in 2009 will include Silverlight applications. If you are reading this post in a RSS reader you may not be able to see this application. Please visit the live post to get the full benefit of the content.]
Well here it is, 2009. Did you accomplish everything you set out to do in 2008? I’d say that for most people that is true, even me, but hopefully you did accomplish some big things to be proud of.
And what of 2009? What are your plans and goals? Do you have them? If not then why? We all needs something to strive towards, to push ourselves to accomplish. Without some kind of goal we risk stagnating and hopefully you all know that in our career paths to stagnate is to become obsolete.
So what did I accomplish in 2008? Here’s a bit of it:
2008
- Community
This past year I started speaking at user groups, code camps and even larger events like the Cleveland Silverlight Firestarter. I also helped organize the Cleveland Day of .NET and the Seattle Developer Designer Interaction Group. Online venues like twitter and Silverlight.net/forums also were deluged by my participation, more at some times than others. - Technology
Around a year ago I wrote of the need to pick a technology and focus on it. Especially in the area of web development there is such a deluge of new, and all good, technologies that to try and be competent in all of them is probably too much for any one person. So the way to succeed is to pick one technology or area and devote all your learning time to that one area. For me the chosen technology was Silverlight and I’m loving every minute of it. It uses the C#/.NET skills I’ve developer over the last several years and also lets me express my creative side in a professional way. - Job
After spending most of the last several years wandering from job to job and industry to industry as a contractor in an attempt to find myself (or my work self anyway). I finally figured out what constitutes a dream job for me and devised a plan to get it. Over the course of the year I executed the plan and while it may not have been perfect, it did get me my dream job. I now work at building Silverlight apps full time. For me this is as good as it gets. I work with cool clients, cool co-workers and build cool apps. BEST. JOB. EVER. - Writing
I started this blog and had a few decent posts. Earlier in the year I was better about the blog but overall I am happy with it. I also was invited to write a chapter of Silverlight 2 in Action and it was quite an experience. I feel like I did a decent job but should have done better. I would like to publically thank Chad Campbell for the opportunity and hope I didn't let him down too much. - Location
After 9 years in in Northeast Ohio we packed up the family and moved to the Pacific Northwest. Ohio never felt like home to us and while it is great for plenty of people, it was not right for us. We moved to Bellevue Washington in September and immediately knew that this was the right place for us. My only regret in moving here was that we didn’t do it sooner.
Looking back at 2008 it was a banner year for me. Wow. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum. Here’s what I’m looking at for 2009:
2009
- Community
I am going to continue to present, organize and post throughout the year. Goals in this area are to continue to polish and refine my presentations and presentation techniques. I also want to present in at least one major conference this year. I’m starting the year off with a bang in this respect by presenting at the Codemash conference January 7th-9th. Codemash 2009 is sold out with 500 registrants so it’s definitely a good start for this year. I also plan to do more online/virtual events this year since it’s a great way to expose people in other locations to the virtues of Silverlight, and not everyone is willing/able to travel but we all have internet access. - Writing
For 2009 I’m going to spend more time focusing on this blog. I know the posts have been a little sparse the last few months but I’m working on rectifying that. I will try and impart value to the community with nearly every post this year (other than this one :) ) and also hope to engage the community in discussion around some RIA topics as well, more on that in a later post. - Family
While I do try and keep my blog posts completely professional oriented, this goal is too big to not share. At lot of the accomplishments of last year cam at the expense of family time. In 2009 I have to rectify that and create a much better balance between my professional and my personal life. I’m sure that this is possible and I have some plans on how I’m going to change things but I may also need some advice from those of you that are doing this well.
So that’s not all my goals, just the ones I’m ready to announce publically. Do you all have great things planned for 2009?
