The author reflects on a year of self-employment, highlighting the shift in client expectations that now prioritize confidentiality over case studies. They maintain a four-day work week, which they find beneficial despite its challenges in scheduling. While this structure limits their income potential, it allows more time for personal projects and blogging, keeping their work enjoyable and their skills sharp. They rely on referrals for new jobs and express optimism despite the industry's pressures. The website underwent significant redesigns, focusing on usability and performance enhancements, including better alt text and a text-to-speech feature. The blog saw a notable increase in posts, with 66 entries in 2025, making it their most active year since 2009. Topics ranged from practical coding advice to critiques of industry trends, with standout posts addressing issues with Grammarly, Deno, and the deprecation of XSLT in Chrome. The author is critical of the increasing reliance on AI in coding, calling it "sloppery" and questioning its long-term viability. They moved away from GitHub due to its deteriorating quality, opting for self-hosted solutions instead. A new project, Croissant RSS, demonstrates their experimentation with web components, although they lament the ongoing limitations of Progressive Web Apps on iOS. The year concluded with them tackling programming challenges in multiple languages, showcasing their commitment to skill development.