Peer to Peer Magazine

SMART MOVES STRENGTHEN YOUR MIND, ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS eyes and see myself entering the testing room; I can hear the sounds in the room, I can see the computer I am using, and I see the words "Congratulations, you have passed." I also find a certificate online and print a few copies of it with my name added and put them in places where I can see them all the time. Most important, I know that I have the knowledge, and I start applying it even before I pass the test. Of course, I also study. BELIEVE YOU ARE GREAT AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE This might sound arrogant, but if you don't believe that you are a great person and an asset, and don't act as if you are, then why would others believe it? If you are secondguessing yourself all the time, then chances are you will come across as an insecure person. The main challenge you will face in applying this concept will be within you. By human nature, we tend to punish ourselves more than others do when we fail. We also doubt ourselves before we try to do anything because we are unsure of the outcome. We worry too much about the immediate results, failing to understand that life is a process. In the movie "The Secret," Jack Canfield, author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul," gives us the analogy of driving from New York to California at night. You can only see the 100 feet your headlights illuminate, then the next 100 feet … and so on until you arrive in California. Use that approach in your life: Trust that the next 100 feet in your life will unfold and keep you on the right path. And don't let anyone distract you by saying that your idea is impossible because they are "experts" and have tried before. Have confidence in yourself, and see obstacles as opportunities to challenge yourself; do something every day that impresses you. Henry Ford put it in much better words when he said, "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right." LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURES You will fail, and that is a fact that you must accept; if you are not failing, you might not be challenging yourself enough. But what will define your character is how you react to failure. I have failed many times. If I fail a certification test, I work on my weaknesses and try again. If you struggle with failure, then I recommend you read "Failing Forward" by John Maxwell. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST My parents taught me that if I committed to a task, I had to do it well; otherwise, I shouldn't do it. When I became an ILTA volunteer leader, I inherited a great team that had already met its goal for the year. Although our current activities will really be judged as 2012 accomplishments, we are already working on new initiatives. Doing your best will help you feel better about your day, and you will go to bed knowing that you gave your all. YOU ARE YOUR BEST ASSET So, you see? You can set up your career and live your life the way you want. Start with a goal — know in your heart what you want in life. Then make that vision very clear in your mind so that you not only see it, but feel like you are already living it. Then, take action on your goals, and do not give up on them. When you feel it is getting hard and it might seem that you will fail, take a moment to reassess, adjust and keep pushing. If you do fail, learn from it and set another goal. Always have confidence in yourself and do the best you can. I imagine that most successful people you know, many of whom might even be your peers, practice some — if not all — of these concepts. In fact, you probably have, too … even if you didn't realize it. Find those moments, recall your feelings and your results, and then do it again. Nobody can stop you but yourself. ILTA Carlos Rodriguez, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), is the Network Manager at Nexsen Pruet, where he is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining day-to-day operations of the firm's network and security infrastructure. With more than 12 years of achievements in leveraging technology, mitigating risks and capturing cost savings, he has been recognized as a change agent capable of creating a vision and driving teams toward achieving goals. Carlos is also the Vice President of ILTA's Server Operations and Security Peer Group. He can be reached at crodriguez@nexsenpruet.com. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 31 " Do your best and for get the r est. " — T ony Horton " Y ou ar playing yourself. e never r eally playing an opponent. Y " ou ar — Arthur Ashe e " The dif often how an individual views a mistake. fer ence between gr eatness and mediocrity is — Nelson Boswell "

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