My Learning Log

Blog

  • learning again

    I have started to fall out of share. And it’s time to get back. Get back to doing the things I know. Get back to be agressive in learning, in pushing hard, in trying to move ahead. 

    I have stopped doing a lot of that. For one, I have stopped on reflecting daily. Reflecting on the things I’ve learned and to identify things I can do better. That’s not a good place to be.

    For one, reflecting deepens my learning. For two, it improves my writing. I have started to feel not so comfortable writing. I need to get back.

    Is that too much to ask? A few minutes a day. Not asking for an hour. Not even for half an hour. But 5 to 10 minutes and that’s enough.

    There are multiple reasons why I stopped. None of them are good enough. All of them push me towards being lazy. And that’s not me. That’s not my strength.

  • moving

    What can I reflect on? What am I learning? Where am I going?

    Fabian is graduating from 5th grade! Oh, my! That is going fast, real fast. He’s maturing but so far has been a good boy. Not always easy and becoming increasingly moody, but not much to complain about. What I would like to see is more of a desire to achieve more, to get more. It’s not there but once convinced, he usually tries to get there.

    I will get better and get ready towards interviews. I want to spend 20 minutes during a week to practice problems and reading the book. There are also videos I want to watch. I can do that when my family will be away for a few weeks. The bottom line is that to get ready, I have to practice, I have to get ready!

    I have a coaches mind. I want to see growth in whoever I am in contact with. That translates into progress, and that is fuel, a fuel that makes me go. That is a real valuable thing!

  • leading

    I’ve been with dstillery for almost 7 years! Never thought I could be with one company for so long! I grew as a developer, probably not as much as before. But I grew mostly as a team lead. I believe I’ve found my way, my area, things that make me want to wake up in the morning, my challenges. 

    I stayed with dstillery because of that! I’ve stayed because I wanted to grow my team, push them to new hights. I am proud of my accomplishments. I’ve been able to help promote 2 leads that are still with the company and doing well. I have been told by a guy that left my team how much he appreciates me — info I got from his girlfriend. I have been told by a guy with over 10 years of experience that he never had this type of management, where I tell him the area he needs to grow, and when I helped him to get promoted, he told me he will try to adopt my style of management. That is music to my ears.

  • moving?

    I have a decision to make. Do I want to continue to stay at my current work, or is it time for me to move on? I guess the bigger question for me, do I want to manage? I do. Am I willing to take a “see what’s there” and move into that position? I think that’s an option, but only if that is laid out ahead of time.

  • changes

    Whatever happens, happens. Changes to my company are here.  Nothing will be the same. It’s one of those “gloom and uncertainty” feeling. All of yesterday had that feeling. 

    What will happen after that? It’s anyone’s guess. Like Mike said yesterday, we will be working at a new company. Period. Top brass has completely changed and that’s a fact.

    New direction. New people. New vision.

    I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt, but it needs to crystallize sooner than later.

  • learning is back

    Mornings have been a constant struggle for me. Lately it’s the allergy season and with a sleeping pill, I wake up tired. I have to make it a goal to be in bed around or before 10. Anything later than that and I am tired. I have also stopped writing my goals at night. It’s mostly because it is a bit cold down here, but I have laptops upstairs. I can do it upstairs, right before I go to sleep. Yes, I can do that. It really only takes a minute.

    I’ve been learning a lot about soccer and soccer coaching.

    Few things I need to research more. What is a half fake?

    It’s important as coaches we install the love of the game, to have them self practice.

    There is also the technique of forcing a player to his weak foot. This is probably too early at U8 but I don’t see why Fabian or U11 can’t do that. I think they can.

  • learning leadership and git

    I’ve been learning about leadership and git these days. I’m making progress on both fronts.

    In terms of leadership, it’s good to have a personal board of directors. This group of people is responsible of helping you, and this is the group of people you can turn to for advice. That session with dr Rue, I believe, was a good one. I like listening to him.

    on git, i’ve learned the difference between reset and rollback (have I?), not really. I’ve got more work to do to be comfortable.

  • weight

    Waking up early, spending time with my kids, eating healthy and no junk food. These are all constant things that come up and I have issues. How do I change that? I have an idea. I should have a goal in terms of what I eat and my weight. It will make me more motivated in that area.

    I have made great progress in that area. I am now running a mile 3 times a week. I have been around and within reach of my target weight, with +-3 pounds consistently. I’d like to get it to +- 1.5 if possible. I got to give myself credit for this!

  • staying busy

    My wife likes to change things around here and there. And she’s doing a good job! She now has hired a guy to paint the boards white. It looks much better now. The room which is hard to make comfy is looking much, much better after 1 day of work! All credit goes to her!

    Victor went to the whole day camp yesterday. He had a lot of fun so I signed him up for another half a day today from 12 to 3. I think it’s good to have them do something, not just sitting around in the house. 

    I also took Fabian to the HS field. We did some shots and then crossbar challenge, then juggling. He enjoyed it. He wanted to do more but we went to eat instead. 

    So it was a really good day overall. Kids were busy, my wife was busy, I was busy was well. So overall, can’t complain.

  • playing with kids and earning time

    It feels great to stay focused after work, to perhaps read something, to spend time with my kids. And to do that rather than stay passive, watch tv, go on computer. It’s recommended to spend time with kids and I have no reason not to do so. They respond differently when I do that.

    Kids need free time. If they do what we ask them to do, there is no reason why they can’t get 30 minutes of free time, do whatever you want. But only if you’ve earned it.