http://qs1969.pair.com?node_id=220923


in reply to A reflection or two on PM life

I've been here 14 days longer than you have and I still enjoy the place. The secret is not to make it your life. I show up now and again. I certainly drop by when I need to research a problem and see what other people already have had to say on the issue, if it has already been dealt with. That's about it.

Any place gets old and boring when you spend much of every day around it. Slashdot, K5, Perlmonks, Everything, Everything2, Usenet and anywhere else.

Just make yourself drop by once a week (or when you have a problem) instead of once an hour. Spend the extra time to brush up on the things you feel you are under-knowledged in.

Most of all, don't look at a position you're in from the point of "I don't deserve this - I'm not qualified to be here". Instead, approach it as "What a great place to observe, learn and improve myself". I prefer to be the least experienced, least knowledgable person in all places of my life. I don't want to be the work-campus-guru where I work. I want to be the person who has the most to learn in any division of my company, for example. Constantly seeking positions where you are the one with the most to learn assures that you're always improving instead of stagnating.

You have to be able to hold a humble attitude, but if you can - you can far exceed yourself. Focusing on how little you know instead of doing something about it doesn't accomplish anything for your attitude. And other people who are your superior will respect and appreciate your sincere effort and enthusiasm far more than anything else.