I will say it now, and I will say it again in a few days (give or take). It’s a great thing to have and set goals-especially if you decide to throw it up on social media or, perhaps, a blog.
Earlier in 2019, I did just that. So, when getting ready to say goodbye to the year that was 2019, let’s see what my goals were…and how I did (or did not) do to achieve them.
- Complete my CCNA Route/Switch Close, but not quite. I completed my CCENT (the first half of the CCNA R/S) in early 2019. Good, bad or otherwise, I spent the rest of the year focused on other certification endeavors. With the coming changes to Cisco certs in early 2020, this one will end up being revisited in it’s new iteration.
- Complete my CWAP Nailed this one. Admittedly took me a few tries, and it was easily the most challenging of my CWNP certifications. This one is no joke, but I am happy to have learned a lot and completed it.
- To increase my WiFi and network knowledge This one is more subjective, but I’d say I did this. It’s hard not to continually learn things in this industry.
- To continue on my road to being a healthier WiFi guy Nailed this one too. Back in August of 2018, I set a lofty-ish goal of 200 pounds. I weighed in at that number in October. I promptly set another goal (more on that in early 2020). I am likely not in the best shape of my life ever (I did used to be a competitive swimmer…) but I’d safely say I am close to the best shape of my adult life.
- To be a better Cisco Champion than the year prior Perhaps…but still room for improvement. Hoping to secure another stint as a Cisco Champion for 2020 and take advantage of all that program provides.
- To blog more and not just as a journal Calling this a work in progress. I think I did better than in 2018 and years prior, but still plenty of room to improve. By need, it had to become a bit more relevant, but I am getting ahead of myself there…Outside of this blog, however, I did add to my writing slate. In addition to the entirely not related wrestling blogging, I added some blogging for friend and mentor Chris Avants and the Active Expert/WiFi Training family.
Some things I nailed down in 2019 that I had not expected or dreamed of? And certainly never wrote down, lest I be held to task for coming up short….
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- Passed my CWSP Never really even saw this as likely in 2019. When I sat down in January writing my goals, I can’t say it wasn’t a wild dream, but I surely don’t recall it. Honestly, it wasn’t until after I passed CWAP in the spring that this even kind of bubbled up. I’d had chats with a few friends and mentors, and while none challenged me to do so, per se, there was enough encouragement that I went for it, and it paid off. Small hat tip to Keith Parsons, who took time out of his busy days at WLPC 2019 to talk career path with me, and he said (paraphrasing) that if I was working at it, there was no reason I couldn’t come to WLPC 2020 with my CWNE. Which leads me to…
- Achieved my CWNE As in, CWNE #341, right here. I mean, once you complete your CWNP professional level exams, what’s next? CWNE, of course. So, in September, I found myself with the P exams all done. It was time to make sure my blogging was up to snuff, and to finish off my essays. The rest, as they say, is history.
- Got some recognition This was never a goal, not even a dream. Heck, before WLPC 2019, one of these I wasn’t even aware of. Yet in November, sure enough, I found myself nominated as a WiFi Awards Rookie of the Year finalist, along with a nomination as a finalist for the Cisco IT Blog Awards, in the category of “Most Educational Blog”. Never imagined either thing happening, and to even just be considered is a huge honor.
So, it’s great to have goals, and it’s great to reflect on them at the end of the year, to see what worked and what did not. I did a lot I had wanted to do, and plenty I hadn’t even marked down. All in all, I’d have to say 2019 was a great year for me. I made a lot of new relationships-friendships, personal and professional relationships. I improved on others as well. I learned and grew and continued my personal transformation.
I am not ready to share what all is coming for 2020 yet…there will be a goals post coming soon enough, but there’s plenty of things in the works or bouncing around my brain…so 2020 ought to be a bigger and better year than 2019.
Just for some fun and perspective…here’s some of my physical progress. On the left? That’s me, WLPC 2017. Couldn’t tell you how much I was back then, easily north of 300 (my high before the diet began 8/2018 was 325). The right? That’s me in February of 2019, just two years later, where I was 240ish.
With luck, I will get to add another one in February of 2020. I’ve already shown a few close to me and they’ve all said I don’t even look like the 2019 picture anymore…so it’s onward and upward.
Wifi John 