Goal Setting

I think one of the reasons that I have been very upset with the way my life is going is that I feel very stagnant. When I was in the military I set educational goals so that when it was time to move on with my life I had something to show for the time spent in the military. Now that I am a working civilian, I find that I am no longer moving forward, but instead I am working simply to pay the bills. Granted, unlike before I joined the military, I actually enjoy doing my job. The last few weeks I have been focusing on making my life happier. I suspected that I was unhappy because I was away from my hometown friends and my family. But I don't necessarily think that is the case. I have spent the last six years of my life away and most of the time, I was quite happy. Obviously, the big issue here is that I haven't gotten my foundation here in Oklahoma city yet. So although this isn't a firm decision, I have leaned towards staying with the company and continuing to do the work that I enjoy doing. Along with that, I have decided to set educational goals. Right now, a masters degree seems a little out of reach due to my scheduling, but what is a lot more realistic and obtainable is two very critical certifications. I have my CCNA, Cisco Certified Network Associate already but it is time for me to get my CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional). Unlike the CCNA which everyone and their mother has, the CCNP requires four separate tests. I suspect that I can easily prepare myself for each test in five weeks or less each. Concurrently, I believe that I can also work on getting MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator). I have already taken three months worth of classes, I have years of practical experience, and I have all the self study guides for the tests. There are about 7 tests I must pass to get that, but likewise I think I can prepare myself for each test in under five weeks each. So, when I achieve my certification goals, along with adding two additional years of experience, I can move into a position in California more prepared and better qualified for the types of positions I am really looking for.

I know I can do this. When I was going to college online, everything was pretty much self taught by reading for hours every day. The only difference here is that I will have to set my own deadlines. Now, for doing two certs at a time... that might be tough, but I used to do two and sometimes three classes at a time. I hated it, but I cant say that I regretted it.