Tag: coping

Today’s coping tip is to take time to reflect on what you have accomplished recently.

What have I done recently? Lots of stuff, but a couple things come out in my mind.

First, SQL Saturday is moving forward. I was at SQL Saturday Boston 2022 recently and I’m heading to SQL Saturday Toronto 2022 this weekend. I didn’t put on these events, but I have been helping the organizers in the background with encouragement, support, and some fundraising. I’m proud of what I’ve done to help and I’m thrilled with the efforts of the various organizers.

Second, I pushed and got the volleyball club where I work to set up some open gyms. I run these each week and I wanted to get them set up as I have a few kids on my team that aren’t participating in high school volleyball, so I wanted to give them a place to play.

I wasn’t sure how this would go, and if I’d have more than a couple of kids show up. I  was prepared to end up teaching a private lesson for a few kids. Instead, 18 kids showed up and I lightly organized them into 4 teams to play. A bunch of them were happy, and asked if we could do it twice a week. Not sure I can do that, but I’m glad that things worked out.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s coping tip is to share an important goal with someone you trust.

I’m not sharing an important goal here. Honestly, some of the things that are important to me make me more vulnerable and I really don’t want to hear criticism, comments, or even cheering. Until I move forward more, both mentally and in actuality, those things aren’t helpful for me.

Instead, I’m sharing something that I want to accomplish with a close friend and my wife. Those are the two people that I trust to listen, just listen. I don’t need them to push me or encourage me. Just to share something that will help me think things through for myself.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s coping tip is to make progress on a project or task you have been avoiding

Most of the things I do for work are spent looking in the future. I’m always trying to prep and prepare things ahead of time because the difficulty of getting work done today for tomorrow is hard. Especially creative work.

I’m writing this a week early, because, well, I needed to tackle something. I had been invited to be a part of a Learning Pathway at the Data Community Summit 2022. I knew this, but since I didn’t submit and plan for this, it wasn’t something I was that excited about. I enjoy the topic and talking, but I wouldn’t have picked this overview one.

So I have been procrastinating and delaying working on this, but I realized I needed to get it done. I buckled down and took an afternoon where I worked on the deck, outlining the flow. Then another day to flesh out details and practice a first run through.

Slow progress, but it got me moving.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s coping tip is to look for the good in people around you today.

I’m working remotely today in New York. I flew up last night to be with my daughter, and it’s my 19th trip of the year. Yes, I spend a lot of time in airports.

Travel has been more of a hassle this year because of staffing and schedules. It has gotten better for me over time, but things still seem to take longer than in 2019.

Many businesses inside airports are busy. Not enough staff and lots of customers. Sometimes not enough supplies. However, I think most people are doing the best they can. I have learned to assume employees are trying to help and think they are making their best effort.

I also find lots of people are understanding and tolerant of delays and supply issues. The process can be annoying, but it seems to me the relatively rare person that isn’t acting “good” overall.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.