New Years Resolutions aren’t something I normally do. I don’t like the idea of using an excuse of something arbitrary such as the year change to start or stop something.

In this case though,  it’s the catalyst for a few things that have been bouncing around in my mind for a while – maybe that’s the case for others too?

(As an aside this is my first blog post I’m writing straight from mobile… Swype these days gets the WPM count closer to what I can do on a keyboard which is less frustrating :) )

In the order that I think of them, here are some things I’d like to change:

1. Be more personal in what I do (selectively).

I guess I do this a little bit,  and put my own flair on blog posts and tweets – but in my mind it’s still very reserved. A technical ‘how to’ I’m happy with my current methods, but I’ve previously taken a rather non-personal approach I believe.
One of the reasons this has come front of mind is due to the roundabout way @thisaintrachel’s blog post was written. I really enjoyed reading the personal side, and without going back to my own write up, i’m sure it was nowhere near as personal as I could have made it.

That doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll write more posts that way, but when I do I’ll put more into it. Same applies to Twitter.

2. Get less caught up in particular individuals or situations.

This one plagued me in the later half of 2015, but it’s definitely happened plenty of times in my life.
There will be someone or something that irks me in what they say or how they act, and I’ll just focus on it too much. It will rattle around in my brain with over analysis.

What I need to do instead is just ‘let it go’ (I hope we are all mentally singing that now). Put it down to just “that’s how that person is” and continue on. I don’t know why certain scenarioa bother me so much, but I know I have an inner sense of righteousness that becomes irritated at certain times. Especially if it’s someone i regarded highly!

I know all that is vague, but the few who know me well probably have heard at least one story where I’ve either confided in a frustration, or got in trouble for getting carried away on trying to “right a wrong” where I should have just given up (if you’re that curious, feel free to ask me privaely!). The intetions are always good, and it’s not even a ‘choose your battles” thing as I already turn a blind eye to many frustrations…

3. Be more positive

This is one that I’ve already been trying, but there is room for improvement. I like having a positive mantra, but it is so much easier (and often funnier) to take a swing at something instead.
I’ll continue those funny swipes (at least in my mind they’re funny) and Twitter is a great platform for that… but it shouldn’t go any further, and should be shared around.
Again I’m not too bad for this, only the very rare situatuonal anti-Apple tweet is made, but I’m going to make more of an effort on the positive side.
I love receiving encouragement, and usually it’s just as meaningful from a random follower as it is froms someone you interract with frequently… so I shall give this more of a conscious shot.

A lot of positive things have happened out of the Twitter tech community for me, and I want to continue this on and pass it onto others.

4. Get more involved in communities

The wheels are slowly turning on this – I did a brief of the Microsoft Ignite conference two User Groups in December, but I really should do more.

And, I know I’m capable. I still need to relax in front of a group of people, but it’s an aquired skill. I know I’m not bad at it (I have previously done things like MCing a quiz night, and will be MCing a wedding!). I’ve had a lot of support in doing this too from different people Ive spoken to – family, friends and people in the tech community – so I really should put some effort in to making this happen. (I’m making a point of not calling people out in this big post – those call outs will happen more personalised and when things happen, or I’ve already done it).

There were several inspirational people at Microsoft Ignite AU 2015 that either directly or indirectly gave me an extra nudge too – and those actions I’m taking on board to try and do the same.

This also flows onto having more interractions with others – I’ll put more of an effort into this one too, and feel free to call me on it!

5. Helping others
I already do this one a lot, so really it’s a ‘continue on’ for number 5. It’s a big part of my job as well as online persona, so I hope (and actually believe) people see and appreciate it. Not that I’m doing it for recognition of helping of course – but recognition does serve as a gague that you’re doing it right.

6. Do more writing

I enjoy writing so I need to do more. It died off a lot in 2015, as it was replaced by my awesome little son and a lack of sleep (if you want photos then just find me on facebook!)

He is getting better at sleeping, so this should give me a bit more time to get back into it. Some paid, some blog posts. I’m still selective on what I choose to write about, I won’t take a paid gig on something that either doesnt interest me or is too far out of my personal experiences and kmowledge – but I could easily find more work if I wanted it. Luckily this is just on the side to my main job, so ‘more work’ isnt that much :)

I still dont think it’s something I’d want to do full time, but I have seen others make very successful careers from several online techy persuits, so maybe one day. Definitely not 2016!

I can’t tell how much I’ve written on WordPress for Android so I’ll just call it there. I do care what others think so if you have any feedback for me I’d love to hear both positive and constructive criticisms – either comment here or privately let me know however you find me :)

Hope you all have a positive and enjoyable 2016 and please say “hi”!