My 2014
Well, things didn’t slow down in 2014! So much so that I didn’t manage to write this post yesterday. In 2014 I spoke at 8 events in 4 countries, and worked with 11 clients on 15 projects before starting work full time with Ind.ie in August.
I wrote a lot more, with regular slots on A List Apart and The Pastry Box, and a series on Getting Started With Sass on Web Standards Sherpa. And I had more fun on podcasts including co-hosting Unfinished Business with Ashley Baxter in August.
Again, I’ve summarised my year in photos:
Saw Skindred twice. What a fantastic live band.
Moved around the corner to a lovely little house.
Ind.ie began with Jo joining as Director of Operations (I wasn’t full time yet…)
Another trip to North Cyprus where we managed to work the WHOLE TIME.
In June, I joined the Ind.ie team part time and we got the full team working from the office at our house.
The Ind.ie team worked from London for four days in June.
We ran the Indie Tech Summit in July, meeting brilliant people from around the world.
Went on a last-minute Mediterranean cruise, where we got drenched up Mount Vesuvius.
Started doing Pilates with Brighton Pilates at Yellowave. The best beach view in town!
Gave my first talk and workshop representing Ind.ie at border:none in Nuremberg.
My little sister Annie got married to the lovely Sarah.
Went to the Big Brother Awards in Amsterdam with Aral, where Edward Snowden gave a fantastic talk.
Following goals for 2014
1. Collaborate more.
Joining Ind.ie meant I went from working remotely, to suddenly working with a team of people in our house every day. It definitely resulted in a lot more collaboration!
2. Be more selective, say no more often.
Early on in the year, I decided to only speak at an event every other month. I mostly succeeded in this, and it meant I was less stressed, and also enjoyed the events I spoke at a lot more.
3. Challenge myself physically in a new way.
I sort-of managed this one. I tried ballet, but it’s not for me anymore. I tried Crossfit, but the nearest location is slightly too far away to attend frequently. Doing much more challenging courses of Pilates has had a positive impact on my year.
Goals for 2015
I have a big writing project to finish, which needs hard work and lot of confidence, but I also want to share more design and development writing on my blog and the Ind.ie blog.
- Write more.
- Read more.
- Make the most of Ind.ie.
My life has changed a lot in the last year as I’ve started working with Ind.ie. It’s really important to me that we make a difference, and create alternatives to spyware technologies. I’ve got an amazing opportunity to work with the rest of the team to do something about the current system. I need to make sure I make the most of it, work hard, don’t let my insecurities get the better of me, and stand up for what I believe in.
Sorry if I made some mistakes in the sentences above. :>
I find there’s benefits in both working freelance and in a team. There’s less disruption during the working day if you’re working alone. But when you work in a team you can make more progress coming up with ideas, learning from each other, and bouncing thoughts and problems around.