2013 - A Year In Review

I love the idea of the end-of-year post. It’s a great time to reflect on where you’re at and where you’re going. For me, 2013 was a turning point. I saw major growth in myself, my relationships and generally got much closer to my bigger goals.

What Went Well:

1. I Got Married - In August I married my best friend and the most beautiful woman in the world in sunny Santa Barbara, CA. The wedding was small and intimate but most of all a complete blast. I’m pretty sure we just danced and drank all night. I also got to spend quality time with some old friends.
2. Started a new business - The start of 2013 saw the launch of my 7th business, Simple Goods. With each new venture and product I launch it gets easier but so much more challenging as the stakes are raised. It’s far too early to tell how things will go with my latest venture but one thing is for sure - 2014 is going to bring big changes to this business as it gets taken to the next level.
3. Continued freelancing & consulting - This year I continued doing client work and consulting. All told I spend roughly 8 months working with 6 clients. Some were quick projects while others were larger engagements.

What Didn’t Go So Well:

1. Freelancing & consulting overshadowed other activities - It was really tough dedicating so much time this year to freelancing and consulting when I had just started a new business at the beginning of the year. Ultimately though, it made bootstrapping Simple Goods much easier.
2. Didn’t launch any products - for one reason or another I never got around to launching any products this year. Doing so is a key part of my larger income strategy. While consulting is great (and pays well) it’s time consuming. Paid products on the other hand will let me decouple that horrible time for money situation.

So What About 2014?

1. Stepping up my consulting business - in 2014 my consulting business will be maturing a bit. I’ll be adding a few new remote members to the team to expand some of the services I can offer. I’m going to be far more picky about clients I work with. And lastly, we’ll be putting up a new website for our activities this year.
2. Writing more + writing a book - I’ve been putting this off for way too long. I’ve got two strong ideas, one for a technical book on static sites and one more generally focused on life, startups, travel and being more awesome.
3. Contributing to open source - In 2013 I really started getting into the open source software scene. Next year I hope to give back by contributing to projects I use the most as well as publishing a few new projects I’m currently working on for others to use.
4. More Traveling - This summer the wife and I will be traveling to Malta, Spain and Portugal for an extended honeymoon and traveling experience. I can’t wait! After living abroad in New Zealand for part of 2011 & 2012 we’ve been itching to get back out there.
5. Real estate & land investments - This year we’re planning on purchasing a rental unit as well as some raw land for a future get away or camping spot. We’ve been wanting to get this going for a while and I think 2014 will be the year we finally do it.

That’s it. I can’t wait to review this post mid 2014 and again this time next year.

Happy New Year!