It is “that” time again.  Time to start studying for one of the CCxE (CCIE/CCDE) re-certifications. Got my 1st CCIE back in 1997.  A couple years later my CCIE SNA/IP.  Then back in 2009 I passed my “favorite E” – the CCDE.  And now?   I’ll tell you a secret that I actually haven’t told anyone at all except for my wife. — I am so tired of studying for the writtens. I prefer spending my time getting my hands dirty in the lab at work in CPOC, learning new technologies, reading pcap files, technically reviewing books, writing blogs, making youtubes, CiscoLive….. Anything but studying… yet again…. just to pass a CCxE written.  Especially now with the 10% “evolving technologies” add.  For the past few months I’ve been trying so hard to get myself to sit down and do some studying.  It has really been a struggle to get myself to study and I have rescheduled my exam twice so far. It has just been really hard to find the motivation when there are so many other things I’d prefer to be doing.

To make matters worse, each and every time I actually do sit down to study,  I’ve been finding myself with this nagging question in the back of my mind that “talks” to me. The words are different each time… different rationalizations and questions and comments every time inside my own head.  But essentially the bottom line question that is asked is —

“Why not just go Emeritus?”

…. and those words have just been blocking my studying so badly.

Why am I telling you this?  Because I believe the expression that we are “As sick as the secrets we keep”.   And these secrets (being tempted to go Emeritus, not wanting to study for another recert)  have really been getting in my way.  I need to get them out.  I know I can’t be alone.

I think to go Emeritus or not is everyone’s individual and personal choice that only they can make.  Only they know if it is “right” for them.

I do not think, for me… for today… that it is the right choice.

Why do I feel the time is not right?

Let’s be honest.  Let’s talk about the “elephant in the room” in reference to Emeritus.

Right or wrong, there are “judgements” people in the industry make on people that “go Emeritus”.  Judgements like they are “past their prime”…  they don’t have the desire… the energy… or the interest… to “keep up” and “stay current”.

Which, for me…. is the exact opposite.  I have the desire and energy to learn.  But I wanna get hands on… down and dirty and deeper than ever before.  If I had an hour and my choice was to look at code and really grow… or to spend the hour studying just to recert.  The “more fun” would be to look at code.   If I had an hour an my choice was to look at a sniffer trace …. or to spend the hour studying for a recert.  Again… the “more fun” would be the sniffer trace.

But I guess sometimes the right choice for what I want… is not always the fun choice.  There is an expression I heard one time that I just love

“Our future is not so much determined by our plans for tomorrow, as by our actions today.”

I know I still want that “dual CCIE, CCDE” after my name without “Emeritus” on it.  I know that at CiscoLive in 2017 I want that ribbon that says CCIE 20 Years.

So I know that means that between now and January 20th at 1pm – I will be studying… studying.. studying.

Categories: Career

Tags: Career, ccde, ccie, Certifications, recert