2014 wraps up my second full year of running my personal blog. Overall, I’m happy that I’ve been able to maintain the blog and consistently post content. One of my biggest worries starting a blog was that I would stop posting. I’m confident that I’ve overcome that hurdle, so now I can focus on other goals for 2015.

Before getting into plans and goals for 2015, here’s a look at the performance for 2014 and how it compares to 2013.

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At the end of each year, I like to let my beard grow out. You can see the results from 2012 here and 2013 here.

Usually I only do it for two or three weeks, but this year I started in November when one of my clients convinced me to do a no-shave Movember. So here are the results of two months of facial hair growth. It’s by far the longest I’ve went without shaving.

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Make no mistake about it, I’m watching college football this upcoming New Year’s Day. Major college football has finally gone to a playoff, and I don’t plan to miss it.

The match-ups for the first year are epic. There’s coaching legends Nick Saban and Urban Meyer going at it in the Sugar Bowl with Alabama vs Ohio State. In the Rose Bowl, there’s current Heisman winner Marcus Mariota going up against last year’s Heisman winner Jameis Winston when Oregon takes on Florida State.

A college football champion will finally be determined on the field. It can’t get any better than this, or can it? I think it can.

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I’m a Christmas music junkie. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I listen to a steady stream of Christmas music. I’m sure it drives my family crazy, but I can’t help it. It’s the only month of the year where you get to play these songs.

I have a long list of favorites, but here is an attempt to narrow it down to my top 50. The result is a mix of classics, jazz, modern pop, and a couple of offbeats. It wasn’t easy, but here goes.

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I’ll admit that I’m a NASCAR fan. I’ve been watching races for over 30 years. People say it’s boring watching cars drive in circles, but there’s something about the technical aspect and competition of the racing that intrigues me. It’s also amazing to watch how the drivers can handle the cars. Those guys have serious skills.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the playoff system that NASCAR used this year to determine its champion. I was never a big fan of the original Chase concept, but I tolerated it. The new playoff system has made it worse. Playoffs are not the way you crown a racing champion.

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Streaming music has went through some controversy during the first half of this month. It started when Taylor Swift pulled her latest album from Spotify, saying she didn’t want to participate in a “grand experiment” that didn’t properly value her music. She went on to further clarify her position in an interview with Time magazine. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek responded in a blog post saying that artists are being paid fairly by the service. My daughter also chimed in with an interesting college student point of view.

Both sides have valid arguments, but in my opinion, streaming is here to stay. I find it a great way to discover new music and rediscover old favorites. I also use it as a modern day version of the radio, often putting playlists or “stations” on in the background while working or doing things around the house. I have a streaming station on as I write this blog post.

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It was always good to do a little reflection as you complete another year of life.

Personally, this past year has been great. The family and I have been healthy. My oldest completed her first year at school away from home successfully. My son graduated high school and went away to school. To be honest, any problems I’ve dealt have been of the “first world” variety. To say I’ve been incredibly blessed is an understatement.

On the business side, it’s been a little bit of a rough one. I was pretty excited coming into 2014. We had generated momentum over 2013 that I wanted to build upon through 2015. It felt like we had finally turned the corner, and I was expecting a big year. It all changed in mid-January.

Our biggest customer decided to move in a different direction without giving notice. I was frustrated. I was disappointed. I was upset. I wasn’t sure the business that I invested eight years building would survive. Out of that tough situation I learned a valuable lesson, the importance of friends.

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