The agenda is out for the US Data Platform Discovery Day. It’s online, and takes place this Wednesday, April 29, 2020. You can register and check out all the sessions, covering a wide variety of topics.
I’m not speaking, but there are some great speakers in the US edition. Register today if you want a little learning this week.
With many of us shut in our homes, it’s a stressful time. We’re often managing work, family, and the rest of our lives from an unchanging environment. If you’re like me, you may struggle to tell one day from the next. Thankfully I have an app the keeps the date in the corner of my desktop, since I have to check it regularly to remember if it’s Tuesday or Thursday.
Some of us are busy, or busier, and some not as busy. Stress has changed, and I know quite a few people looking for some break in their routine. At Redgate, we’ve started the Community Circle, which has some technical resources if you’re trying to learn more or level up your skills. Some people are finding this to be a good time to tackle technical stuff, but not everyone feels that way.
Personally, I am doing a little more, or was before I got really busy at work, but more I need a break. I have been trying to do things away from work, mostly to just change my routine. I also have been doing a bit less overall, mostly because I’m struggling to find more mental energy to focus after work.
I saw this post from Kenneth Fisher, where he asked the same question and showed that he’s trying to learn to juggle. I have been doing a bit more guitar, which I find relaxing. As the weather improves, I’m looking forward to sitting outside with a drink in the evenings and just learning a new song or playing something old.
The lack of movement for many of us does mean more time, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you want to focus on learning something. If you do, there are lots of resources, and we’ll keep providing information at SQLServerCentral. If you can’t focus, then maybe you just want to relax and consume something fun. My wife and I have gone through the Oscar Best Picture nominees, one every few days, which has been fun. However, you might try picking up a fun new skill, like juggling. A break trying something new, laughing at yourself, or just getting away from life, might help you cope better.
Steve Jones
As part of the Redgate Community Circle, I’m going to be running a live class on DAX and Power BI, every Thursday, from 12MDT for about 30-45 minutes. We’ll see how things go.
I’ve been wanting to learn DAX and I keep putting it off. I can google with the best of them and fumble through things, but that’s not ideal. And it might not be correct, as I’m not sure I’m always writing the code that I need, or the best code. So I want to walk through Bill Pearon’s Stairway to DAX and Power BI live.
Join me and we’ll work through the series, learning some DAX and applying it to Power BI, which will be interesting. I will read the articles ahead of time, and download anything I need, but for the most part, I’ll be fumbling along with you.
If you’ve got time, join me live. The webinar link is here, and you’re welcome to join, for the whole time or just a part. I anticipate things going for 30+ minutes, but I’ll cut off at an hour. Feel free to participate and as long as we don’t have too many people, we can all discuss the article and try things out live.
For security, I’m not directly posting details, but here is some of it.
It’s partway through the year 2020 and I’m wonder if many of you are continuing with your resolutions at this point? I know that the yoga classes at my gym were already thinning before the COVID-19 crisis as people that started out coming regularly at the beginning of the new year slowly started coming less often or dropping out. I see that every year as resolutions start to fade in importance.
Goals are good drivers, but also stern taskmasters, especially for those of us that are more type-A and driven. I sometimes avoid putting down goals because I’ve struggled to accept my inability to attain them. I’m working to accept the fact I miss some goals, but it’s a hard balance to strive. The goal has to mean something to work towards it, and it should be hard enough to stretch me, but I can’t be upset for not making it. I also can’t just accept not trying. I am never quite sure how to best tackle this.
Earlier this year I was reading the sqlSkills newsletter and saw an editorial from Paul Randal. In it he talked about improving yourself, the different things you might try, and also the need to post-mortem your previous efforts. One other thing he mentioned was the value of having a mentor.
I wonder how many of you have a mentor that you can call on. I know I’ve tried to help in the past with The Mentoring Experiment, Paul does some mentoring, and there other efforts out there. I think it’s valuable to get some mentoring at different times in your life, and from different people.
I have a couple people that I know I can ask things of with regards to my career and personal growth. I’ve leaned on them at times, asking for advice or feedback on different ways to change my life. My wife is one, but there are a few others that have had quite a bit of influence on how I move forward.
If you don’t have a mentor, I’d advise you to seek one out. Or maybe more than one. Ask someone you like, you trust, that isn’t directly supervising you (spouses excepted here), and that you think can give you honest and supportive feedback on your career, life, or something else. It’s a valuable tool to help you cope with the world and assist you in achieving your goals.
Steve Jones
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