Description: Some thing I wrote for LinkedIn

I don’t usually do this, but here I go with some new year reflection.

I got promoted to Staff Engineer this past fall. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, starting with my move to Grafana and a whole new domain, and culminating in the most intense year of my career. I’m left with a complex mixture of pride and regret, given the personal sacrifices I made.

There were three main habits that helped me get through it:

  1. Talking to my spouse to make sure we were on the same page. The promo effort demanded a lot of time and focus, so making sure everyone’s needs were still being met at home was crucial.
  2. Talking to my team at work. Communicating what my goals were helped those in my network help me. I could not have achieved my goals without the support of my peers.
  3. Talking to my therapist every week to help me manage my stress and balance priorities. I would be a basket case if not for her.

Nothing beats communicating, period.

This year, I want to learn to work smarter, not harder. This means a strong commitment to achieving my work goals within the allotted 40 hour week, and not filling up my plate beyond that. I will ask for help when I need it, and accept that a late deliverable is better than damaging my psyche to deliver on-time.

I also want to write more for fun. I think I have some interesting tidbits to share.

Finally, I want to get better at kicking off projects. Gathering requirements, building context within a team, and writing a design are mentally taxing for all involved, and can get frustrating as things drag on and people feel unproductive. I don’t know what the magic dust is here yet, but I’ll report back when I find it 😂

Welp that’s all I’ve got. Curious to hear any thoughts, advice, or resolutions you would like to share.