Initiative

I'm a rather laid back, easy going person for the most part. And this has served me well in many areas of my life including being a father, husband and parts of my job.

It makes me easy to get along with and I can work with most people and don't cause clashes. But there comes a point where if you're only letting the job and work come to you, you sort of plateau. And that's been OK for the last couple of years. I've been preoccupied with having a pregnant wife and raising infants and toddlers. But with Conrad turning one on Friday, life at home is getting a bit easier. I'm truthfully at a better place and happier than I've been for a very long time. Having kids and being a good parent is hard. But it's getting easier now and I can put a bit more focus back being a better employee. And getting that next promotion, which is what this is really about. More money.

I have the skills and ability to do that. My coding skills are good and have served me well the past couple of years, while I've been on auto pilot a bit. But to advance, it means being more proactive and taking initiative with my job and not just letting it come to me. The non-technical aspects. So I've started carrying this little orange dice around with me in my pocket as a reminder. It's a 10 sided die, which is what one rolls for initiative when playing Dungeons and Dragons. I've owned this particular die for somewhere around 20 years now. There is even a chip on it from where it sat in Billy's driveway for a few weeks lost. We found it later, after Bill Sr. had run over it a few times with the Subaru.

It's kind of a corny thing do to, I know. But I'm going against my nature with this and the reminder helps me.