The Secret to Achieving Your Cloud Learning Goals in 2024

In Today’s Cloudbites:

📝 How to Set Better Cloud Goals

✅ The Secret to Actually Achieving your Goals

👩‍💻 PLUS: This Month’s Top AWS Learning Resources

Read time: 4 minutes

Hi friends, welcome back to Cloudbites. Today, I’ll be walking you through how to set better goals and systems to actually achieve your cloud goals this year. I’ll also be sharing my top AWS learning resources for this month.

📝 How to Set Better Cloud Goals

1. Cut down on your number of goals.

   
   When trying to land a job in tech, it can be tempting to try and learn a lot of different things at once.

   
   However, if you set too many goals, they might end up competing with each other for your time and attention. Choose your highest priority goals and cut down everything else.
   
   One way to implement this is through Warren Buffet’s “2 List” Strategy.

   
   ➡️ First, write down your top 25 career goals.

   ➡️ Next, circle your top 5 - this is List A.

   ➡️ The other 20 items are List B i.e. your Avoid-At-All Cost list.

   
   According to Buffet, these 20 items should get no attention from you until you’ve succeeded with your top 5.
   
   

2. Block out Time in your Calendar

   
   You are 2-3 times more likely to stick to your goals if you make a specific plan for when and where you will perform the behaviour.
   
   Fill out this sentence to try it for yourself:

   
   “During the next month, I will study [CLOUD TOPIC] for at least 20 minutes everyday at [TIME] and [PLACE]”.

   
   It might be helpful to block out this specific time in your calendar, to maintain your commitment to it.
   
   

3. Stack Your Goals

   
   Finally, I’d recommend using habit stacking. Linking the habit you want to adapt to an existing routine, will make it more likely to stick.

   
   To do this, try filling out this sentence:

   
   “After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”

   
   This could look like:

   • “After I have my morning cup of coffee, I will study cloud for 20 minutes.”

   • “Before I eat dinner, I will complete 10 cloud practice questions.”

   • “After I return from my lunch break, I will reach out to one potential cloud mentor.”

✅ The Secret to Actually Achieving your Goals

Now that you’ve set up your goals and systems, it's time to get to work. Here are some things I’d do to stay motivated in the long term.

1. Align your Environment With Your Goals

   
   We make most of our decisions based on our environment. For example, if you sleep with your phone next to your bed, you might default to checking social media.

   
   However, defaults can be positive as well. If you keep a water bottle with you throughout the day, drinking water rather than soda is more likely to be the default decision.

   
   We can use this to encourage better decision-making to achieve your cloud goals. Here are some strategies I’d recommend:
   
   

   • Prioritize Simplicity: When in doubt, eliminate multitasking.

   • Use Visual cues: Create an environment that encourages you to study cloud. E.g. Having your laptop open with the courses you need, will make you more likely to start.

   • Opt-Out vs Opt-In: Opt your future self into better habits ahead of time. E.g. Sign up for a cloud learning event when you’re feeling motivated today. When the date rolls around you’ll have to opt-out, rather than convincing yourself to opt-in.
     
     

2. Focus on Practice over Theory

   
   Don’t get too bogged down in the theory. Regularly testing out the concepts you’ve learnt is a good way to keep learning exciting.

   
   Once you’ve earned a certification, experiment with cloud services and try using that knowledge to solve real-world problems.

   
   If you’re not sure how to get started, check out this video on 5 mini AWS projects to build.
   
   

3. Consistently Measure Your Progress

   
   Another way to make long-term progress is to measure your goals. By measuring your results, you gain a clearer understanding of your progress.

   
   Here are a few measurable goals I set during my cloud learning journey:
   

   • “Watch X videos a day from a cloud course.”

   • “Complete X amount of practice questions by X date.”

   • “Apply for X number of jobs by X date.”

If you’re looking for more helpful advice on how to do more of what matters to you, I’d recommend checking out the new book - Feel Good Productivity. It’s written by productivity youtuber Ali Abdaal, and dives into creating an easier, happier path to success.

👩‍💻 [PLUS] This Month’s Top AWS Learning Resources

1. [Certification] AWS Data Engineer Associate Certification: Get 50% off on your certification before January 12, 2023.

2. [Program] AWS Community Builders Waiting List: Applications open soon - sign up before spots run out.

3. [Twitch Show] AWS Power Hour, Cloud Practitioner: Gain the skills and knowledge to prepare for the updated AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.

4. [Game] AWS Card Clash: Learn about AWS Cloud architectures through a 3D virtual card game.

5. [Video] Latest Video: How to Land a Job in Cloud & IT with No Experience.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading! 😊

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