I knew a man once who drank his coffee black. I asked him how he could drink coffee without even some cream to temper it, and his reply has stuck with me to this day: “Would you pour cream and sugar into a glass of 20-year-old Scotch?” I stared blankly at him and replied softly, “No.” He responded with, “Then why would you want to ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee by pouring that junk in it?”

Bacon is to food as black is to fashion; it goes with everything.

In addition to having your own set of tools at your disposal, another good skill to acquire is the ability to remain unemotional.

You should spend more time focusing on your own efforts and less time worrying about someone else. Focus on what you can control; otherwise, you will quickly become frustrated.

Having your procedures written down is a necessity in order to make certain that any new hire can be brought up to speed in the shortest time.

workdays never go purely as planned, and you need to leave some margin for error. I still create a daily list, but I leave a generous margin to handle all the ad hoc items that hit me as the day progresses.

I don’t know about you, but every now and then I need to use the bathroom, and I typically do not offer remote support from there. I also have a tendency to sleep every now and then.

Some people may say it is best to always look busy, and others say it is better to not be seen. I say it is best if you are not seen and people know you are busy.

Good DBA work begins with calmness. Move slowly with deliberation. Don’t rush. Take time to think.