Revitalisation: the act of giving new life or fresh energy to someone or something.
The phrase "pre-emptive strike" sounds so militant! But don't worry: this is not an update on my ongoing sagas with MICT SETA and the Office of the President. (Although both sometimes encourage thoughts of violence...)
Do you feel the revitalising energy of Spring?
I don't. I'm tired and frustrated. It's mid-September and there is still so much that I haven't accomplished this year. My lack of Spring energy got me thinking about New Year's resolutions.
New Year's resolutions in September?
I don't really make New Year's resolutions. But I do set personal and business goals at the beginning of each year. And I like to sort out and organise things for the new year. I usually plan a clean-up for when we close the Incus Data office over December. But although that's when I have the time, I don't always have the energy. And I think I'll have even less energy this year.
So I decided I need to do two things:
- Find a way to revitalize myself to get more done in the last 3 months of 2021.
- Make a pre-emptive strike against 2022, by getting ready for it now. I really don't want my 2022 goals to be the same as my previous goals.
The 12-week plan
It's 12 weeks from next week until mid-December, when things heat up or close down for the festive season. That reminded me of a book I read a few years ago called "The 12 Week Plan", by Biran P. Moran.
Disclaimer: I don't expect that what I share in the next few paragraphs will be new to you. But a reminder never hurt anyone.
The biggest factor that stops us achieving our goals is execution. That is true for me, even though I am more focused on delivery and action than most people I know. Long-term success is the result of the actions we take every single day. But unless we have a looming deadline, we lack a sense of urgency. And so "I'll do it tomorrow" becomes "I still haven't done it".
The idea behind the 12-week plan is simple. 12 weeks is long enough to accomplish something meaningful, but short enough to create a sense of urgency. You pick 2 or 3 specific goals that are realistic, but also challenging. Then, as with any plan, you identify all the tasks you need to do to achieve those goals, and you set dates for them. And, most importantly, you measure your progress weekly.
Measurement matters. We often rationalize our lacklustre results. But proper measurement forces us to confront reality, however uncomfortable. And the sooner we face reality, the sooner we can change our behaviour to produce the results we want.
So, using lots of scrap paper and black koki, I am planning the next 12 weeks. And here's the surprising thing. Although measuring past performance can be upsetting, real planning is actually energising. Plus, if I get it right, I'll have a jump-start on next year!
Survey: Want to be a software developer?
The demand for software developers is growing all the time. And companies are under pressure to reskill many of their employees. No-one wants to see that unemployment rate get even higher.
Getting started on the software development path is difficult. It's not easy and it's not quick. After 30 years of training programmers, we understand this better than most.
And we know about the challenges of time and money. So we want to create a solid online course, with a live virtual training component, to get you / your friend / your child / your colleague started. But to do this, we need your help. If you are interested in this, then all I ask is that you answer a few questions.
This survey will only take 5 minutes. And if you complete it:
- You stand a chance to win the course entirely free!
- If you don't win, you will have the opportunity to enroll in the course at an extra-low low price. (There is no obligation to enroll. The survey does not commit you in any way.)
T&Cs: This is subject to the condition that there is enough interest to run the course.
Interested? The survey is only open for a few days, so please do it now.