It’s a new year, so time to look back at the previous year, and forward to the next. I’ll tell you up front, this post is more for me than you. It’s a way to catalog my year and make some goals for the future. That being said I’d of course welcome any comments and suggestions 🙂

2015 was a great year for me. I had any number of accomplishments.

• I’ve now been blogging for 3.5 years and still going strong. It seems like forever, and yet it’s a fraction of what some people have done.
• I posted 104 posts this year for a total of 333. The vast majority of which were technical.
• More than 300,000 hits this year. – This one isn’t really anything I did, so thanks to everybody who contributed!
• 463 comments. – Ok almost half of those are me, but I have to reply to people right?
• My first speaking gig. – Dallas SQL Saturday #447. What a blast!
• Then speaking at Summit 2015. – I’m still in shock over this one.
  
• Attended the Summit! (pretty obvious after the last one right?) Even so worth a mention. I had a fantastic time and got to meet so many people. I really hope I get to go again soon. If you haven’t been I can’t recommend this enough. It really is like a big family reunion.
• Reached moderator (10,000 points) on Stack Exchange, and almost half the points were from this year. – Note: The points don’t really matter, it just means that I managed to help some people along the way.
• Reached 800 Followers on Twitter.
• Reached 22,000 tweets on Twitter.

 
And what does all of this mean to me?

I really need to get a life. (Particularly after reading those last two.) No really. I spend way to much time in front of a computer. I need to do get outside, maybe exercise some.

Ok, so what’s up for this next year?

• Blog: I figure about the same number of blog posts is not unreasonable.
• Blog: Hits and comments? Who knows. Hopefully, if I can continue to write decent content the numbers will at least stay the same if not go up.
• Speaking: Well, I’ve only done one presentation so far but I’ve started writing a second. With a little work maybe I’ll get to present them both this year. Presenting at the Summit again is probably a bit much to hope for (although I’ll certainly submit) but I’d like to speak at at least a couple of SQL Saturdays.
• Stack Exchange: Continue to read questions and answer where I can. Helping others is one of the most enjoyable parts of the profession right?
• Twitter: If anything should set a goal to cut back, but I don’t think I will.
• Pluralsight: I’m hoping to start doing a PluralSight course at some point in the near future. So here’s to getting at least one completed.
• Health: That’s a lot of stuff in front of a computer. I think it’s time to get back to working out. I’ve been lifting weights every now and again so more of that and back on the elliptical I go! Wish me luck, because as anyone who’s ever been dramatically overweight will tell you, it’s a very very hard path.
• Activity: And just to help with the health part I think I need to start up my archery again. I used to go out and shoot in my hard almost every night. Time to start up again.
• Education: Study up on replication and SSIS. I need both of these for work so not unreasonable.
• Certifications: Ok, time to start back on these again. Let’s see if I can finish up my MCSA this year. MCSE we can save for next year.

 
Whew, that’s a long list hu? Well I’ll be honest some of those are stretch goals that I would like to get done, but probably won’t. Time will tell 🙂