Guilt by Association

Drawing from the many lessons as a young person growing up and our mothers reminding us to always be mindful of whom we surround ourselves, because we too can be found guilty, simply by association. We can take this same lesson, flip it 180 degrees and apply it in much the same way toward a greater good. Obviously, the people and places we choose to associate ourselves with and/or give our time are of such vital importance on many levels that it would be foolish to ignore. It’s so vital, that we can directly attribute many, if not most, of our future failure and successes to these associations.

So, as you’ve stated in your original post, you’re going to begin to immerse yourself into the Routing and Switching forums, surrounding yourself with like minded individuals, hence time well spent. We’ve had this discussion before, we both agree, outside that of the time spent in self-study, engaging with others pursuing the same goal is key toward reaching goals. However, unlike being guilty simply by association, in reference to our younger days, one does not become CCIE simply by associating yourself with other CCIE’s, lol.

As you and I both know, this accomplish/achievement doesn’t come by riding the coattail of another, rather through many hours of dedication and comprehension.

Good Luck,
Adrian

Power

Power is a funny thing. The older you get, the more important it is to you...trust me. I'm talking about the power to control your own life - what you do during the day - your future. There is a long dissertation I have on power but let's cut right to what matters: How do I get "the power"? Folks who are among the best at what they do in their particular field seem to have most of the power. Consider actors, athletes, real estate sales, IT, etc...

Make no mistake, the CCIE translates into power in the IT world as it is one of the, if not the, most sought after certifications year after year. And now that I'm in the big middle of trying to pass the R&S lab exam, I know why. It's ROUGH that's why. And so it goes, you can sit idly by and let others dictate your life (think Office Space except not really funny) or you can do something about your station in life. It starts with a commitment and taking that first step. Like the song says, I always thought you should live everyday like you were dying causese guess what.....

I'll be writing on Rodney's blog from time to time. Now its time to shut up and study.

Ken

Giving Up Is Failure

On September 4, 2009 I took the CCIE Lab Exam and failed it. I still remember what I felt like after walking out of the Cisco building and I vowed I would be more prepared the next time. IT'S TIME TO KEEP THAT PROMISE

I started by taking some time off to reevaluate my preparation strategy and I believe my new approach will be successful. I stated I failed, well actually I don't believe I failed because I haven't given up.

New Strategy
1. Blog about all my training activities (I won't blog everyday but I will blog about my daily studies at least once a week)
2. Complete the entire IPEXPERT BLS (three times)
3. Become familiar with the DOC CD (as if it was the back of my hand)
4. Become more active in the Routing and Switching forums

My new test date is Wednesday, January 27, 2010, which is 107 days.

Also my good friends Adrian Marks and Ken Munson  will be posting as well, so be sure to Talk CCIE with them too.

Rodney Jackson
rodney.jackson@talkingccie.com