A new year, a fresh commit. Here’s what I’m building toward in 2026.
Professional Growth
Certifications. I closed out 2025 by passing the AWS AI Practitioner cert in December. This year I’m going after two more: the AWS Generative AI Professional certification and renewing my Solutions Architect Professional cert. The GenAI space is moving fast and won’t wait for me to keep up. I intend to stay at the front of the pack.
LinkedIn video content. I’ve been consuming great content from others in the AWS community, and it’s time to contribute more. Short, practical video updates covering what’s happening at AWS and what I’m building. No fluff.
Commit more to GitHub. This is the big one. I build a lot of things that never see the light of day. That changes this year. Agents, infrastructure patterns, experiments—all of it goes public so others can learn from it (and so I can look back and remember what I built). Follow along at github.com/chadmullen.
Family
More dedicated time with my wife and kids. The work will always be there. The years with young kids won’t. I traveled more for work in 2025 than I ever have in my life—and while I’m grateful for the opportunities, when I’m home, I want to be fully home. Not just being present, but being engaged. Fewer screens, more conversations, more adventures together.
International travel. We’re taking the family out of the country this year. The kids are at an age where they’ll actually remember it, and there’s something about experiencing a different culture together that I want them to have. Destination TBD, but it’s happening.
Trestle with my oldest. My son turns 10 this year, and we’re planning our first trip to Trestle Bike Park together. I picked up a Santa Cruz 5010 last fall, and he’s excited to ride in the mountains for the first time. Honestly, I might be more nervous than he is—but that’s the kind of memory I want to build with him.
Fitness
Cardio consistency. Treadmill or running outdoors, 3-5 times a week. Nothing fancy—just showing up. The goal is building a baseline that sticks.
Strength benchmarks. 25 pull-ups, 50 push-ups. Not in a single set (yet), but getting there. I’ve got soon-to-be teenagers, and I intend to keep up with them.
Gratitude
Show it always. Easy to forget when things are moving fast. I want to be more intentional about expressing gratitude—to my family, my team, the people who help me grow. Not just feeling it, but saying it.
Building in Public
I’m treating 2026 as a year of building in public. More writing here, more code on GitHub, more videos on LinkedIn. If you’re working on similar things—cloud architecture, AI agents, figuring out how to balance building a career with being present for your family—reach out on LinkedIn.
Let’s build.