I just had a”Big Birthday,” the kind that ends in 5 or 0. So now, I am in the midst of a “senior life” crisis. It feels just like my previous crises, where I search to find a new role that fits my life now. In Secrets of Consulting, Gerald M. Weinberg said: It may […]
How Can We See and Steer Through Our Life “Crises” to Find a New Path? Read More »
Mark and I just returned from a week-long trip to Switzerland and Germany to explore some of my family’s origins. We had a great—and exhausting—time. I learned a ton, not just about my family’s past, but about designing for the entire experience, and how my perseverance interacts with my learning. Design for the Entire Experience
How Can You Integrate What You Learned from Traveling to a New Place? Read More »
We moved into this house ten years ago, so Things Are Breaking. Our garage door sounded sick a couple of months ago, but I’ve learned to wait until the spring breaks before fixing it. The Last Responsible Moment for fixing occurs after the spring breaks. (Very few garage door people will replace the spring before
When Do We Realize the Last Responsible Moment Whooshed By? Read More »
A billion years ago (I might be exaggerating a bit), I sat at a computer, stumped. My boss had assigned me this challenging project three days before a customer visit. I had just one day remaining. I had a green-and-white listing of the code next to me on my left, and my diet soda on
How Do You Prepare to Work Hard and Be Effective? Read More »
I’ve learned a ton about software projects. One thing I know is that any project that uses continuous integration (agile or not) has a better chance of succeeding. Not a guarantee, but a much better chance. I’ve learned other things I find necessary for successful software projects. Two of my favorites are the need for
Are You Too Busy to Continue Learning? Read More »
A friend attempted to offer me a compliment the other day. She didn’t mean to. She said, “You’re a natural writer. It comes so easy to you.” I said, “Thank you for thinking so. That means I’m writing well. But I have worked for 20 years to become a ‘natural’ writer.” She meant well. But,
What Are You “Natural” At? Read More »
In the comments for What’s the Difference Between Problem Whining and Problem Solving?, I spoke about a couple of different things: Being attached to the process or being attached to the outcome/result Perceived or real lack of choices with respect to the outcome In this post, I’ll address what we might attach to: the process or
Are You Attached to the Process or the Outcome? Read More »
I read Jerry Weinberg’s Advice to New Graduates and thought I would ask this question about unlearning. I had to unlearn many things when I started to work. Here are some of the highlights: The myth of the one-person project. I had to depend on other people to finish work I started. Unlike school, I never
What Do You Need to Unlearn? Read More »
Create an Adaptable Life Vol 3 #3: What Have I Learned? December 23, 2014 What Have I Learned? At this time of year, we often retrospect, to plan for the new year. I like to do that, too. It’s another question, just like my questions of the week. Sometimes, it’s hard to ask the “What
What Have I Learned? Read More »