Five Years
I’ve been following the Self-Reliance #trust30 stream and have been mostly disappointed so far by the daily “exercises”. I guess I’m a simple guy because the only two that have resonated with me were very clear, simple calls to action. The first one was What would you write if you only had 15 minutes to live? Today’s has two simple questions.
What would you say to the person you were five years ago?
Dear Dave,
Keep doing what you’re doing. Yeah, the RailsConf 2006 presentation you just gave last month was pretty crappy, but it was worth the effort, and although you won’t ever be accepted to be a RailsConf speaker again, you’re going to be speaking at a ton of other conferences. Just wait! You won’t believe where your crappy speaking skills are going to take you. (No, I’m not going to tell you where. Be patient.)
The Rails TDD Boot Camp that you’re just starting to work on is going to require a ton of effort, especially when you’re delivering it. You won’t be sleeping much for the rest of the year. But trust me, this is the right time to be putting in some long hours. It’s going to pay off, big time. (Hint: Kevin is open to making you a partner.) Stick to your guns about Ruby. It’s going to be huge, just like everyone is hoping. And Obtiva’s projects are going to almost completely switch over to Ruby from Java over the next few years. Get over your hangups about “doing sales” because that’s how you’re going to land your first full-time Ruby gig. (Spoiler: Gary is open to making you a partner.)
Don’t worry too much about Ricky and Charlie’s (lack of) progress with speech and reading. You just saw Rose make a ton of progress with her reading skills in first grade this year, and both of the boys are going to do the same thing. I know this is almost impossible to believe, but Ricky is going to read all the Harry Potter books over the next few years.
Make sure you tell Matt Puchlerz how awesome he is. Don’t hold back on expressing your admiration and encouragement of people who are doing great work.
Don’t worry about the book you started last year. It’s the right decision to put it on hold, and there will be time to work on it again after you get Obtiva’s Ruby momentum established. (Spoiler: it’s going to be published by O’Reilly!) Also, more good news, software craftsmanship is going to finally pick up steam, just liked you hoped.
For God’s sake, Dave, be attentive to Staci, especially with the little things she asks. Just get over yourself and do some housework and yardwork. It’s seriously easy and will save you a lot of conflict. It really means a lot to her. Yeah, I know you don’t understand why. Just accept it. She’s worth it.
Oh, also, when the guys at The Point call Obtiva next year and you want to tell them you don’t have anyone available to help, I suggest shifting some people around to make sure you can help them. You wouldn’t believe where that little platform is headed. Seriously.
What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?
Dear Dave,
I really hope you’ve been spending enough time with Rose. She’s 17 now and is probably going to fly away soon. I wonder how much she’s even around these days. I bet she is an amazing soccer player and cross country runner. You have so little time left with her, so you better have been almost annoyingly present in her life during middle school and these first 3 years of high school. Did you teach her how to ski? I hope so. Have you helped her discover and learn about the subjects that she wants to explore after she graduates from high school? Have you been firm and clear, but not alienating, to the young men in her life? Have you been praying for Rose? Have you helped her think openly about her spirituality and her relationship with Jesus?
What progress have you made toward your life’s work? Has Chicago blossomed into a place where people have many options for learning about software development? Are Code Academy, Chicago Technology Academy, and i.c.stars still going strong? I hope they have spread throughout the city and beyond. I’m sure you have your hands in a few different entreprenerial endeavors, but I’m also sure you’ve taken the time to help these different organizations move forward, and mentor some of the people who might someday be your boss.
Keep investing in your marriage, Dave. Staci is an amazing person and absolutely worth the effort. Have you already started planning how you two will be celebrating your 20th anniversary next year? Wow, you guys have come a long way. Keep going.
