T-SQL Tuesday #193 - Notes to Self

T-SQL Tuesday is a monthly blog party hosted by a different community member each month. This month, Mike Walsh (blog) asks us:

Write two short notes to yourself. One to the past. One from the future.

Write a post with:

A message to “10-Years-Ago You.” (it can be 5 years ago if needed)

• Something you were scared of then that turned out to be just fine
• Something you wish you’d taken seriously sooner. (the thing you should have been afraid of instead, perhaps…)

A message from “2035 You.” What should you be paying attention to right now? What’s the risk or opportunity that future-you desperately hopes you won’t ignore or pass up? Ideally, come up with something in the day job/data/database/AI landscape – something about data, career choices, learning opportunities, job opportunities, chances to take.

To 2015 from 2025

Hey 2015 Andy, you know how you got out there and presented at SQL Saturday #383? And you were freaked out about it for weeks but it went OK? You’re going to keep doing that. But don’t make it a slow burn - get out there and do it more. You can come with the content, just look around at what you’re doing at work and adapt that. Keep plugging away, and don’t be so hesitant to submit a few sessions for PASS Summit. Get on that soon. The “no"s doesn’t mean “never” - it means “not yet.” Online user groups, SQL Saturdays, keep at it. But whatever you do, do not present at the same event you’re organizing (again). Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Keep up the blogging. It doesn’t have to be much. Nothing ground-breaking. Try to get at least one post a month written. This is one of the best ways to get noticed and known completely on your terms. Set aside a few hours each week for it. Even if it’s for your own reference later. You will be rewarded.

But - more pressing matters. Your employer just got bought. You’ve seen this movie before. Network. Talk to people. You’ve got a little time before the whole thing collapses, so don’t take the first offer that comes along. The right job will come around and give you a great transition into being a full production DBA. BUT! That won’t be your final stop. Keep your options open, something even better will come along.

On a more personal note, you don’t realize it yet but your kids will find their people the way you found your people in the SQL Family. They’ll figure it out in middle school and oh, the places they’ll go! I don’t want to spoil it for you because it’s a journey that the whole family is going to take together. You will all find friendship, community, and amazing new adventures that you can’t even imagine right now. Make the most of it.

Above all, when presented with a choice, make sure you keep saying yes. You will regret the things that you didn’t do (or stopped doing) much more than the things you did do.

To 2025 from 2035

Hello from 2035! What little hair you have left has now gone completely grey. But that’s just time marching on, and as I write this, you’re plugging away at a solid retirement strategy. But that’s not why we’re here. That job change you made 10 years ago? One of the best decisions you ever made. It’s the first time you’ve had a job and not been on the lookout for the next thing. Hopefully it’ll be the longest stop of your career. The stuff you’ve been doing and learning…unbelievable. Even better, taking those learnings, building on them, and getting to share that knowledge with others - priceless. You’ve been putting new features of multiple database platforms to the test as they’re released, and sharing that experience with audiences of all sizes, online and in person.

The AI hype cooled down after a couple years and the data world weathered the storm well. It got too damn expensive because the major breakthrough on cost vs. functionality everyone was counting on never came about. The major players just kept lighting more and more money on fire while energy and hardware prices both spiraled out of control trying to feed the beast (which took a heavy toll on the average person and environment). People stopped trying to shove it into every product and in your world, it just became an assistant to push buttons but leave the final decisions to you with some nice dashboards, reports, and controls. You’ll build some of that yourself, to keep the workload manageable and handle the really tedious stuff, but you’ll get to keep the fun, exciting, and challenging tasks.