I find that there are many ways to learn. I hope to provide some insight on the ways that I learn, share knowledge, and be a great community citizen to the web.

COMMITMENT

Everywhere I look, I see commitments that I have made, commitments, that I have kept, and commitments that I have missed. I am looking at emails, work items, bills, schedules and a myriad of other things with due dates, expectations, and perceptions by others about what I should deliver. The flood of these “priorities” overwhelms, incapacitates, and prohibits us. How do we wrangle this? “Just Do It!” - If you said yes, make it mean something! Show integrity, character, and willingness to get it done. When this will be impossible, please communicate out and look to find the compromise or an alternative solution. Reset your expectations - Many times, we put commitments on ourselves. No one else has that expectation and if it doesn’t get done, that might be ok. We always prioritize and reprioritize based upon the situation at the time. Reset the expectations of others - I don’t know how many questions / emails / tasks that I get where I haven’t committed to any of that work. There is an expectation set by others without my involvement. Be proactive, communicate the timeline that you think you will complete it. Say no alot! Not everything is priority. There are 24 hours in a day. Prioritize on what is most important and can be done. When the “prioritization” is done for you, communicate early and often what other items will not get done because of this change. I try not to put myself in the position at work where I have to make the judgement call on competing items that I can’t control. I can influence for sure, but sometimes, balls must be dropped when juggling. The question is, have you communicated how those dropped priorities will affect those counting on the work to get done. Today, as I go through my lists for the week, I am looking at my capacity, what is important, and where I can say no so that I can deliver the most important things.

WE ARE ALL GIVEN A GIFT

Have you ever received a gift and never use it? You know which one, I am sure it could be the Bob Ross grilled cheese maker, or the deep pine scented soap with tar for that extra outdoor feeling. Maybe it is the clothes that were 3 sizes too big, or 4 sizes too small. It may be the one created by your child that needs pinned on your sweater.

COUNT IT ALL JOY

It is coming to the end of the school year for many. It can be a stressful time of tests, new life plans for graduates, figuring out how to manage the family during summer while working full time, etc. It can seem overwhelming, out of control, and hopeless at times. It is in these moments to take a new perspective. Be joyful! Joy is not the first thing that comes to mind during the trials of life. Rather emotions of anger, sadness, bitterness, regret, isolation come to mind. I think the key here is to be joyful as soon as the trial comes. But how? I believe the answer to that is knowing as followers of Jesus, He is right along side of me as I face those trials. There is nothing that is too big for Him to handle, nothing too complex, nothing too small, but in all things Christ can be along side of me. That indeed is joyous. As long as I let Christ participate.

THE EXPERIENCE MATTERS

What? Starbucks didn’t open till 8:00am. How did I survive the mornings until then. I must say the breakfast sandwiches were much better than the U.S. The drop of dijon mustard was killer! Then there was Dim Sum for breakfast. I did skip the chicken feet (phoenix claws) for that setting. It was an experience that I will remember for a while.

REFLECTIONS ON BE > DO

Two words, two letters, transformed by time with priceless meanings. One is made manifest by the concrete actions, the other by essence.

ENGINEERS: THE CHALLENGE OF ENOUGH DOCUMENTATION

The question: In software engineering practices especially in the areas of Scrum, Agile, or XP, what documentation is necessary to build a quality product? The debate on documentation feels political. Each side of the spectrum is moving farther away from the center and becoming extreme with documentation practices. Snippets and quotes out of context are not useful to justify whether to document or not. Each stance has created a quality gap in the delivery, maintenance, and innovation of systems today. The pendulum is nowhere in the practicality zone.

CREATING A STARTUP WORK ROUTINE THAT MATTERS

At 6:40 am on December 23rd, 2021, enough is enough on being overwhelmed in the morning. It is an official holiday at my place of employment, but here I am still pushing out emails, reviewing dashboards, and stressing on the next set of due dates. Why? It is about routines. The explicit work rituals I have set for myself, and the ones where they are set for me. Full Disclaimer: I do have a decent work startup routine, if I would just follow it.

A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE @ 4 AM

Sometimes it is the small things in life delivered at the right time that bring joy. I thought at first it was the cup of coffee I just made, but then realized it is the intricacies of that cup of coffee that God has paid so much attention to.

CODE REVIEW - IS EVERYTHING IN THE RIGHT PLACE?

Is your foundation in good shape? One of the often overlooked parts of a code review is checking out the structure of the underneath repository. I refer to this as the “bones” or skeleton of the program, application, or service. It is often very easy to overlook a file or folder out of place. The subtle organization of files and folders can be beneficial for software engineers in future work.

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR WORK

The work we do needs to be washed in the joy and glory of the Lord. Yes, this even applies to washing dishes, making a bed, or taking the dog for a walk. Each email written needs to have grace and empathy, each line of code written or taken away is a moral decision that must be directed by God. Toil will then become joyful, a fulfillment of the words “well done good and faithful servant”.