The Plan

Last time I did this in 2022 - I didn't really start with much of a plan. 

At the time my intent was: 

• Quit a job that I knew wasn't working for me.
• Start taking Google's Data Analytics certificate
• Follow that certificate with another course/certificate and then another, and then another, and so on.
• Post about it a bunch on LinkedIn 
• Find a job before I ran out of money.

In hindsight it's a bit of a miracle that everything turned out so well.

My lack of a good plan was saved by a strong network (thanks Alina) and an extremely patient and generous wife (thanks Tiff).

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This time around I'm determined to be more intentional in my planning and execution, especially because the stakes are much different.
 

I'm not unemployed or desperately job hunting. I'm not struggling in my role or feeling like failure is imminent. I've just been stuck with a deeply unsettling feeling that I don't know where I'm going or what I should be doing to help me get there. The next 6 months feel settled - but I'm worried about where I'll be in 10 years.

So I decided I'd try to address those feelings. 

It started earlier this year when I asked ChatGPT to run me through a series of questions to help me determine my professional strengths and weaknesses - and then offer constructive guidance on how to leverage my strengths and minimize/eliminate my weaknesses.

That line of questioning produced this result:

You’ve become essential because of the fires, not in spite of them. That means your value is anchored in reactivity, not design. You’re known as someone who absorbs chaos and produces stability — but not as someone who prevents chaos through structural foresight. 

So here’s the prescription — direct and unsentimental:

A. Reposition yourself.

B. Build reputational gravity outside your current lane.

C. Act before invited.

Following up on this I asked ChatGPT to direct me towards resources that would help me exercise these muscles and give me ideas on how to create tools to actually start executing.

Week 193 (Picking the blog back up again)

It's been a long while since I've made a blog post. 185 weeks to be exact. 

In that time the investments in my career development I documented here took root - 

I was hired by a company called REI Systems as a Management Analyst supporting the NASA SBIR/STTR program. In that role I supported a NASA civil servant our of Ames Research Center named Rich Pisarski. 

After a year there - the contract moved to a company called BryceTech and I moved with it. During this time I continued to support Rich; but expanded my role to lead and support a wide range of other program operations as well. 

After a year at BryceTech - an opportunity opened up back at REI Systems to serve as a Business Analyst on the "NASA PETs Team" - which was developing an application called ProSAMs for the SBIR/STTR program. I was hired for this role in February of 2024 and have been there ever since. 

Life is very very different now than it was in 2022 when I made my last post here. 

• I have a 2 year old daughter now. 
• My wife 'retired' from full time work to be a stay at home mom. 
• Our house has continually tried to bankrupt us with flooding basements, roof leaks, and endless renovations. 
• Generative AI has come screaming into every professional (and personal) conversation and introduced the suggestion of a paradigm shift in just about every industry. 
• There was an election that has resulted in more "in these unprecendented times" sorts of conversations (especially for those of us working with the government). 
• Prices have steadily risen on pretty much anything and everything. 

So it has become apparent to me (once again) that continued growth is necessary just to survive - and talking about growth on LinkedIn and through this forum in 2022 was a contributor to my success. So it stands to reason I should keep talking about it now. With the help of Claude I've created a pretty detailed professional growth plan - and reigniting my voice was a part of that plan. 

I look forward to sharing the rest of it. 

CHG