Go take a hike!

Like many of my fellow Oregonians, I love a good hike.  A walk through the woods clears my head, adjusts my attitude and centers me.  As I get further down the path, I leave my cares behind and embrace my inner explorer as I look forward to discovering what is around the bend or over the hill.  For me, any day spent on the hiking trail is a good day, even when the occasional bear pops up to say hello. 

Okay, I know this sounds geeky, but I get a similar feeling from data management.  Solid data management practices provide a map so I am focused and not wandering off course.  Sometimes what I learn takes me down a new path of learning and exploration that leads to better decision-making.  Other times I run into a “bear,” and realize I need to take a minute to reassess and take appropriate action.  Sometimes that action results in a change of course, but I am prepared to go where the data leads me, even if it is not where I expected.  And sometimes that unexpected detour leads to wonderful surprises, like a new point of view or a direct trail to a goal.

So in closing, and I mean this in the nicest of ways, go take a hike.