So, I am sure we are all the same when it hits a new year. We look at what we did last year and say we will never do some of those again, and then we try our best to set new goals of things to do. In reality we don’t always attain those goals, but we do our best or maybe not, and then the cycle repeats the next year.

For me 2018 was a busy, tough but rewarding year. It started with me working at Protiviti, with the great team there. However, come June 2018, I jumped ship and went it alone. I started working with the fantastic team over at Rencore, as well as doing other consulting work for various companies. I also spent more time creating courses for Pluralsight and Opsgility, which I really enjoy doing.

The decision was a tough one to make, you know the whole, medical insurance thing here in the US, plus the hypothetical earnings. The idea that you should be able to earn enough money to live, but not really 100% sure. Luckily with the work I took on, it has worked out well, and I am at least able to pay my bills, and eat out a few times with the family 🙂

For my family it was a great decision. The moment I started working at home, changed everything. Instead of my kids wondering where I was in the US, I was at home. I got to get my younger boys ready for school, wave them off and then start work. I was able to go to all their basketball practices, events at school and be here when they came home. My wife and I even had chance to go to the movies in the middle of the day!! Yes, the middle of the day!! I checked with the boss and she said it was okay 🙂

It has been an adjustment, but well worth it. I still worry each month if we will have enough to live off, I don’t think that will change though. However, what is fantastic is the time I get to be with my wife. For years she has stood by me as I have traveled all over the place. Starting back in the UK, when I would leave Sunday nights and come back on a Friday, for years and years and years. Then moving here to the US, and traveling all over and staying away. As the person that traveled it was fun, sometimes really cool, but in reality ask anyone who does it a lot, it is just a thing you do and you don’t really worry about it. From June last year till now, I have only traveled twice for business, one to Germany to hang out with Rencore and the second to speak at SPTechCon in Boston. The last time I traveled was with my family to Hawaii for vacation in December. I thought I would miss it, I thought I would miss not having the status with the airline, but you know what, I get to be at home now, and that is worth more to me than anything. I will have a few trips this coming year for conferences, but that is it.

I am truly treasuring the time at home, and hoping it stays this way. I obviously cannot see into the future but I am doing everything I can to keep it this way.

On the other side, things have also been tough, my wife has medical issues with her back that has taken it’s toll on her and still is. It has meant though that we have pulled together more as a family to support each other and to help my wife as she has gone through epidural injections into her spine, to hopefully ease the pain. Interesting how things work out, if I was still traveling each week and staying away for week, not sure how it would be. However, with me being at home it has meant it has worked, and the extra burden and worry of doing it all on her own has now been lightened. I am a great believer in things happening for a reason, and this has truly been something that I am not sure how we would have coped with, if I had not been at home these past few months. Not out of the water yet, but getting there.

All in all it has been a good year and am hoping that 2019 is an even better year. Top of my list right now is making sure we can fix my wife’s back so she can feel normal again.

While doing that, and other things, you can however find me here speaking or attending:

  • February – SPTechCon Austin, Texas
  • February – Boise SharePoint User Group, Idaho
  • March – MVP Summit, Seattle
  • May – SharePoint Conference, Vegas

I will then potentially be here too:

  • May – European Collaboration Summit, Wiesbaden, Germany
  • August – SPTechCon, Boston

On top of that, I will be writing content, blogging, webinars and creating plenty of new Pluralsight and Opsgility courses!!

Lastly of course, I am going back into training again, as I have race coming up in April. I am participating in the Ragnar Relay race in Richmond, VA again this year, as well a couple of others.

Well that’s enough from me, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year, and hope 2019 is a great year for you, your family and that achieve the goals you set. Here’s to a fantastic 2019!!