Thanks for the GREAT post Iwilder,
I think the defined goals part is very good advice, and it should be easy to target and work toward a specific goal with my leisure travel. Less so for my business travel. As a US Govt employee I travel frequently, but my travel arrangements are made for me and I don't get a say in which airline my travel is booked on. One of my goals is to get my older (and wider) behind into upgraded seats for my business travel by using my personal miles/points to upgrade my government purchased tickets. At this point in my learning process it seems to me I will need to be a member of multiple FF programs so that I have some leverage with all the airlines the government might book me on (including Ethiopian Air).

If I am off target, please advise.