Another year, another birthday that brings changes. This year the big change came a week earlier, when I started working full time for GitHub. It brought an end to freelance and contract work, and came at a great time for me mentally. I was burning out on doing the solo development work, and feeling burdened by all the overhead that comes with working by yourself, managing 10+ clients and applications, and always being on call for all of them. The sales, invoicing, accounting, client communication; constant worrying about working enough billable hours, etc. All of it combined to severely limit the passion I have for using technology to solve problems and improve lives.

I’ve transferred all but one freelance project to others, and still maintain a site for a somewhat famous, and now controversial, singer, but even that too will shortly be passed on. It’s a big change, and one very worthy of occurring on the calendar near my birthday.

Personally, I have a few other goals, which unfortunately seem to be the same year after year: return to the physical fitness level I was in when I earned my black belt, get myself out of debt, write and read more, travel more, and continue to work on Commendable Kids so the benefits of the service can be offered to more and more children. At least, for the most part, I can be comforted in the knowledge that I once again spent most of my free time this past year with my family, teaching and leading them, and building memories to last a life time. I wouldn’t have it any other way.