A New Beginning

Everything changes for me at the end of January.

After a wonderful 18 months at Browser and five years living in London I’m heading home, back up north to Manchester — and then almost immediately back down south for Responsive Day Out — but after that I’ll be starting something new.

What’s Next?

London was a great place to start my web career but not a good place to live. It was incredibly difficult to quit my job but I had to bite the bullet.

I need to figure out what I want to do going forward. I’m not entirely sure yet. Perhaps it’s time to open my own shop? I won’t be rushing into anything, but I’m all ears if you have any opportunities. Please do get in touch if you require my web-making skills. I can’t ponder the meaning of life on an empty stomach!

Small Resolutions

Some things I am sure of and I’ve got a big head start on these resolutions:

Improve fitness

I now run over 10k a week and I’m aiming for a half-marathon in May. What a difference six months can make. I’ve already shed two stone and I no longer feel like a keyboard sloth. Pleased with that.

Write more, write less

I’ve already alluded to changes in my writing. Rather than the bi-monthly epics I tend to slog over I want to publish more frequently on this blog; save the meatier stuff for Smashing Magazine etc.

Filter the chirping

I’ve authored (ha!) just shy of 10,000 tweets since April, 2009. I don’t know why that depresses me because Twitter is very useful. It’s my industry billboard, newspaper, and soapbox — and almost exclusively so. Very useful, but often frustrating to wade through the tedium that boils up every time the latest non-issue is overblown. Web folk like a good drama it seems. I need to stop reading every single tweet and be more selective in those that pique my interest. I’ve moved Twitter onto my second app screen to force a change in consumption.

Research, Develop

The most enjoyable times of 2012 have been the opportunities I’ve made to share projects like my lightweight datepicker and experiments like my off-canvas menu. These tend to be wildly popular, collaborative, and the best learning experiences. I have a long list of random ideas that would serve much better in the public spotlight.

And with that, bring on 2013!