I had a poignant moment a few years ago: A close friend of mine (of over 20 years now ~ wow) and I were warm bodies helping another on a contract. It was new-ish stuff for both of us. After a day or two in that grind, he confided: Summarizing, “I am old, I am set in my ways, I am comfortable doing what I do, and I’m good at it. I don’t want to keep learning new things.”

Nothing but respect for that assertion. Hell, I was entering tech management / tech direction back when the Java wave was headed our way… It was getting to be too much to keep up with the kids and all the new languages, frameworks, paradigms of the day, …

And then, one day, the rug was pulled out from under me and I actively wondered if I actually knew how to do anything anymore ~ not architecture diagrams, program management plans, etc – actual stuff that does something. That was a terrible feeling.

Never again.