what i learned from 2007

Okay, okay, so I'm a bit behind in posting the annual "what I learned last year" list, which is an idea I stole from Jeff. To be honest, I've had to think about it for a while this time. But here ya go, loosely in chronological order:

1. You can't come up with rational explanations for the actions of irrational people. Don't bother trying to understand these people or why they do the things they do. It will begin to affect your own sanity -- and most importantly, your happiness (and that of the people around you.) Just do whatever it takes to get the irrational people far away from you, or yourself from them.
2. You are rarely ever stuck. You may think you're stuck, but usually it's within your own constraints (such as fear or misperception or financial comfort level, etc.) There is usually a way out. Sure, there may be a tradeoff for taking this way out, and you will have to evaluate it carefully. But you're not truly stuck.
3. Work with people who appreciate what you do. Now, if you're doing something poorly, you should improve rather than seek out people who think poorly is just fine. But if you're doing something well and you're still not appreciated, then take your talents elsewhere. There are better ways to spend your time than trying to win the approval of people who refuse to give it.
4. Things you thought you never liked can be more fun than you realized. Like skiing. And coding. Ok, I admit it. So there.
5. Diversity of experience is more important than length of experience. I used to worry that my propensity for jumping between jobs -- and even industries -- would eventually be a problem for some potential employer who might think I'm unfocused. But then I started to notice that, at each new place I worked, there was always a group of long-time staffers who had been doing the exact same things, with the exact same tools, in the exact same way for years. And they had no reason to believe that there might be flaws in their current way of doing things, or more efficient tools for doing them, or even that they had the ability to do different things. Meanwhile the people who were truly coming up with creative solutions were the ones who had different skills and perspectives that they could apply to the problems at hand.
   
   That may sound self-congratulatory or as if I'm trying to defend my resume. But really it's a note about what I look for in others' resumes, and perhaps a warning about complacency to my future self.
6. The "official" results can sometimes be wrong. When it matters, verify on your own. Then verify three more times.
7. Parts wear out. That goes for humans as much as it does for cars and houses and technology. I don't have any good advice for this one. It's just something I learned in 2007.