The changes to the way that the expired elective exams were still valid for certification is a great idea. Otherwise this forces certification holders to a constant grind of new exams in order to retain their certification and is in line with the other main certifications. The MCSA seems like a good idea and I'm sure will be very popular in the industry.

But that's enough of this. I'm going to ease out of the shop talk now. You see, I'm about to go on my my January break. I had a very hectic 2001, and so far, this year looks like it will be no different. I've planned for myself to have a quick three-week break away from study, writing and anything else that keeps me busy. It's summer here in Australia, so I'm off for a vacation near the beach with my family.

I can't emphasize how important it is to step away from your day-to-day grind and have a rest. I intend to spend as much time as possible with my wife and kids, but I also hope to see a few movies and perhaps read a couple of (non-computing!) books in that time. It's a fantastic way to relieve the stress that builds up over time and it's also rewarding to spend time with your loved ones – all too often in this business the demands of the job mean that sometimes we don't see them as much as we would like.

As the common quote goes, we won't be on our deathbed saying, "I wish I spent more time at work." Also, I think that after my break I'll probably have a renewed sense of energy to get things done. Well, at least for a couple of weeks...

For those of you who are contemplating multiple certifications, I would urge you to be careful in your preparation for these exams. Otherwise, it's possible to lose sight of what you're trying to achieve -- to learn new things and be able to demonstrate your skills -- and end up a never-ending series of exam after exam. Then you can find yourself doing as little as possible for each exam to get by so you can hurry up and take the next one. Not a healthy circle. So for those of you who dream of having MCSE, CCNA, A+, Network+, Server+ etc. after your name, it might be an idea to take a step back and look at the way you approach these multiple exams.

This is likely to be a tough year for me time-wise, so apart from my job and family, my number three priority is completing my MBA. (My fourth priority is to ensure I don't burn out given my other priorities!). I've built a study plan for the year to cover the course requirements, but in doing so I've had to be brutal about my time and decide to ditch any plans for my Citrix CCA certification this year. I learnt a lot from my reading and experimenting with MetaFrame XP, but right now the extra time taken to then prepare for and take this exam can't be justified right now. I'd also hoped to have more time to play guitar in our cover band this year, but it seems like much of this too will fall victim to my formal studies. (Somehow or other I've also found myself umpiring my eldest sons' T-ball games, so right now I'm frantically trying to learn all of the rules. I don't know if I'd have enough free braincells to memorize the fact that MetaFrame XP servers use TCP port 2152 to communicate with each other anyway!)

After all, we all need to set our priorities. You can't do everything you want, so it's up to you to determine what choices will make you the happiest. Pass the sun lotion, please!

IT tends to be a very stressful field (no wonder they pay us so much!). How do you relax? Let me know. Post your thoughts below.