The Pragmatic Craftsman :: Simplicity from complexity : by Stanley Kubasek ::

I came across this (interesting) post, 2007 Goals by Frank Kelly, and pondered… and came up with my own 2007 goals.

Deepen my Java knowledgeThere are still some features of Java that I don’t know, some quirks I’m not aware. In 2007, I plan to read Thinking in Java 4th edition in full. Maybe another book as well. I am also planning to purchase a good book focused on the new features in Java 6.

Get up to speed with Java ConcurrencyI have already started on this goal. I’ve read several articles/book chapters already. I’m finishing the chapter in Thinking in Java. I received Java Concurrency in Practice. I will master this beast.

Get more comfortable with J2EEI’m not a big fan of the heavyweight J2EE, but the new JEE 5 is different and I think it’s a good technology to learn. But before I actually delve into it, I would like to get myself more familiar with the old J2EE and run sample applications on an app server.

Get up to speed with HibernateI have used Hibernate on several projects. I know how it works. But I don’t know it in detail. There is a new book, Java Persistence with Hibernate which covers Hibernate 3.2. I will buy it and get some more detailed knowledge in Hibernate.

Learn Ruby and Ruby on RailsI already have 2 books on the subject, Learn To Program and Web Development with Rails, 2nd edition. I have another coming my way — I was selected to review a book as part of a Javalobby book-reviewing team, Rails for Java. I should get my hands wet in this technology and since my host supports RoR, maybe I can develop a project that I’m thinking about.

Read another book on PatternsWow, patterns are proving to be a tough beast to handle. I think I have a good grasp on the GoF patterns but I don’t use many of them and …. I forget. There is a new book on the subject, Design Patterns in Java, which looks good to me, and which will also refresh my UML skills.

Read 12-15 booksMy goal is to read a 300-page book every month. I have been doing that since last year and I shall continue.

Apply the knowledge I learnI read a lot, but a lot of that knowledge I easily forget. I need to change the way I learn. I need to start applying the knowledge that I learn. That means creating small projects with the new technologies that I learn. That means I need to actually practice my new skills. That’s the only way that I know that I’m actually going to gain a deeper knowledge of the subjects and make sure I don’t forget it easily (or not as easily as before).

Write at least one blog entry per weekThere are weeks where I have more than one entry and weeks where I don’t have any. I need to change that. Having a successful blog means updating it regularly. I shall update this blog at least once every week (have at least 3-4 entries per month).

All in AllIt looks like a busy year ahead. But I feel comfortable and confident that I will reach most of the goals. What I have started doing in the last several months helps me a lot. I started waking up at 6AM and dedicating the first hour to reading. By doing this, I get an uninterrupted hour where I am not tired (with a cup of coffee). This is working great for me so far.(I never thought I could be an early riser, but I really enjoy it.)