New Year’s Resolutions are a pretty silly exercise. Psychologists warn against it since people inevitably fall a little short and then the natural reaction is to give up on that new diet or jogging (or whatever) policy completely. That said, there’s nothing wrong with having goals and aspirations. I took a poll of us here to see if we have some professional resolutions for this year & here’s what we came up with.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Charlie

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Robert Gillespie
Software Developer

What was your most satisfying innovation or new thing you learned in 2019? Diving more into Blockchain technologies and trying to apply them at work to create a more decentralized computing network among supply chain and marketplace participants has been the most satisfying innovative pursuit I've taken on this year.

What is your professional New Year's Resolution for 2020? I want to put more effort into pursuing emerging technologies that pique my interest rather than continuing down some of the same traditional paths of tried and true tech. The well-known stuff is reliable and solid, but that definition usually comes with lower levels of innovation and challenging energy.


Adam Hoffman
Graphic & Web Design

What was your most satisfying innovation or new thing you learned in 2019? My most satisfying learning experience of 2019 happened outside of work when I received wilderness first aid certification from NOLS. I spend as much free time in the wilderness as possible so it’s a great comfort to me and those I travel with to know that I am trained and prepared to handle emergencies that come our way. Not long after taking this 16 hour course, the knowledge I had gained helped me diagnose a life-threatening condition in a hiking partner who was successfully evacuated from the backcountry.

What is your professional New Year's Resolution for 2020? In 2020 I will redesign my portfolio website!


Charlie Recksieck
Business Development, Lead Software Developer

What was your most satisfying innovation or new thing you learned in 2019? This seems odd but starting this blog earlier in the year got me looking more outwardly to what’s new in technology instead of just focusing on our current projects. I just wish I had more time to get through my 2019 self-edification list.

What is your professional New Year's Resolution for 2020? For years I’ve been involved with Autocad design projects but with only one exception, they were mostly 2-dimensional as most utility company clients needed us for that kind of work. In 2020, I want to finally take advantage of more 3D modeling, both for utilities since that’s where even basic mapping/design is headed but also for fun & getting into animation. Also, I want to write a simple video game, even if it’s just re-creating Pong or Breakout; just for the fun & experience.


Laura Beiser
Affiliate Marketing (Goodsell Marketing)

What was your most satisfying innovation or new thing you learned in 2019? In 2019, I learned how to use Photoshop! I’ve been wanting to learn how to do a few simple photo manipulation tasks for years and I finally taught myself how to mask and resize images. It’s quite satisfying!

What is your professional New Year's Resolution for 2020? My professional New Year’s Resolution for 2020 is to prioritize the marketing of our business and my personal skill sets. First, I will develop goals and devise a plan. Second, I will develop reporting to keep track of my achievements. In the past, I’ve found this part of my responsibilities to be my last priority because of the time it takes and the slow results. By giving myself a feedback loop, I’m hoping to find more personal satisfaction in these tasks.


Kevin Walker
Procurement / Channel Partner, Principal (Procuretech)

What was your most satisfying innovation or new thing you learned in 2019? New thing I learned in 2019 was how voice recognition has gained prominence with the rise of AI. Seems we only have to walk into someone’s home that is equipped with Amazons Alexa or Google Home to name a few to see how widespread it has become. Now the market has become focused on seniors who might not have family close by or not at all and voila they can get voice alerts on when to take meds or make calls for emergencies or even ask these devices whats on TV tonight. Add to that you can now have conversations with these devices targeted to the isolated or elderly with no one to talk to. It seems we are breaking the shell of Brave New World - wow, what a time to be alive.

What is your professional New Year's Resolution for 2020? My professional New Years Resolution is simple, be informed and always inquisitive in all my work activities. With so many years in this industry we’ve seen just about everything from simple server downs to entire infrastructures crashing and thru it all we learn and become informed. All of our major successes came from taking chances asking questions and finding the correct answers. Never stop I once heard a saying that rings true,"If you want to be interesting be interested".