The topic at the 2007 PASS Summit Women in Technology Luncheon was goal setting.  This made me think about how goals are formed and how goals can change as one’s life changes or unexpected opportunities arise. 

I believe that different people have different styles of setting goals.  For example, at the luncheon the terms “5 year plan” and “10 year plan” were mentioned several times.  I realized that I didn’t really have either of those.  Finally, I decided that my “5 year plan” is to end up pager-free with more time to write. Ten years from now, wow, I can’t think that far ahead.

One of the biggest goals I ever remember setting was in 1995. I had recently been turned down for the Clinical Pharmacy Director position at the hospital where I worked.  Because part of the current director’s responsibilities involved maintaining the computer network in the department, and the fact that I was very interested in focusing on the clinical aspects of pharmacy, I thought this job would be a perfect fit for me. 

When someone else was hired instead of the promotion going to me, I knew I had to make a decision. Should I get a graduate degree in pharmacy so I could advance in my pharmacy career or should I attempt to become a computer programmer?  In my heart I knew that I would only be happy leaving pharmacy and pursuing my programmer dream.

So, how did I get from there to here?  The first thing I did was set a goal for myself: I will be a full time computer programmer by 1998.  Next I looked into inexpensive educational opportunities in my area.  This included taking a C++ programming class for no credit at the local university through a community service they offered.  I started, but didn’t complete, an Associate’s degree in programming.  I had also gotten some previous experience by setting up databases and writing programs for a fundraiser at my kids’ school.

Looking at the want ads every Sunday helped me figure out which skills were in demand. Another wonderful thing was the support of two individuals who believed that I had what it would take to be a success in a computer career.  Having a mentor, or in my case two of them, can make all the difference.

You may recall that I started but didn’t complete the Associate’s degree.  Completing the degree was a goal I had set.  An opportunity to create database driven websites part time in late 1996 led me to drop out of the degree program.  Sometimes expected opportunities cause goals to change. I don’t think that is a bad thing.

You may be wondering if I met my goal.  Well, not completely.  I left the hospital in August, 1997, a year earlier than I had planned, to work for a small computer consulting company and have never looked back.

The point of this story is that I didn’t and still really don’t have a “5 year plan.” It’s just not my style.  If there is something I want, I set a big goal but immediately break it down into smaller attainable steps.  I don’t just talk about it, I figure out what needs to be done and who can help me.   The other idea I want to point out is that you may not always get what you want. I really wanted that promotion at the hospital.  I didn’t get it, but everything turned out so much better, better than I could have ever imagined.

Kathi Kellenberger is a DBA for Bryan Cave LLP, an international law firm headquartered in St. Louis.  She is a co-author of "Professional SQL Server 2005 Integration Services" and frequent contributor to SQLServerCentral.com and SQL Server Standard Magazine.  Kathi enjoys speaking and regularly presents on SQL Server topics to her local Visual Basic and SQL Server user groups.  She recently spoke at DevTeach/SQLTeach in Montreal and is a past PASS speaker and current volunteer. Other projects include a  beginning T-SQL video series for JumpStartTV.com. She enjoys singing, cycling, hiking, running and spending time with family and friends, especially with her one year old grandson, Thomas.