50 things I learned in 2006

I found a post by way of Doug, challenging bloggers to write about 50 things they learned in 2006. It sounded like fun, so I decided to give it a try:

1. Speaking objectively, my son is the cutest baby in the world.
2. Anything left on the floor will be licked or eaten.
3. He will not be content to just sit on my lap and watch me type.
4. Being a dad is a lot more fulfilling than I had imagined.
5. Moose and Zee are funny.
6. Starting a business is a lot easier than it seems — the most challenging parts are psychological.
7. Having a supportive wife is one of my greatest assets.
8. I’ll spend a lot of time on things that I didn’t anticipate.
9. I won’t spend my time on the important things unless I force myself.
10. It’s not easy to figure out what the important things are.
11. I can make a decent living on my own.
12. Doing what I love is reward enough.
13. What used to look comfortable can look risky after taking the leap.
14. Diggs are fun, but they don’t bring the people who are ready to buy.
15. Most people have never used Digg, del.icio.us or Flickr.
16. YouTube can be addictive.
17. JavaScript programming can actually be fun. Especially with Prototype.
18. YUI is an incredible JavaScript toolkit.
19. Customers don’t care that what I’m using is called Ajax.
20. It doesn’t get easier to deal with the vulnerability that comes with publishing a blog post or releasing software for the public.
21. It’s important for me to write regularly.
22. It’s important for me to consistently read books.
23. Sometimes I can be more productive in the long run if I just walk away from the keyboard and watch an episode of The Office.
24. Efficiency starts with a 3200x1200 pixel display resolution.
25. Working barefoot increases brain power.
26. Patience is key to success, despite what hype I hear otherwise.
27. Daniel Negreanu is one of the best poker players in the world.
28. Deep stack tournament poker is way more fun than any structure I’ve ever played.
29. 10 days is too long to vacation in Las Vegas.
30. I will always want to return to Las Vegas.
31. 2-7 Triple Draw is fun.
32. Our elected representatives just don’t understand.
33. RSS feeds are an essential tool for professional development.
34. I shouldn’t take on projects just because times are slow.
35. I shouldn’t turn away projects just because times are busy.
36. In a lot more cases than I’d thought, it’s better to spend a lot of money than a lot of time.
37. Custom software can save me a lot of time and money.
38. Fry’s really isn’t all that much better than Best Buy.
39. Providing great customer service is worth it, no matter how hard it is.
40. Great help desk software makes a lot of difference.
41. Marketing is a lot harder than it seems.
42. It’s almost impossible to find great contractors.
43. There are a lot of customers who have been looking for a long time.
44. A lot of things are tax deductible.
45. It stings a little less if I don’t wait until April 15th.
46. ING is the best place to have a savings account.
47. I can’t compete against Brock when it comes to LinkedIn.
48. Maintaining a good network is important.
49. A lot can be learned from a great small business forum.
50. Blogging can be a rewarding experience.