As an IT person at a large company, it seems like the older you get, the more "managerial" you become. You start to lose focus on technical skills and you start to learn how to balance the budget and manage projects. I often wonder if this trend is due to the fact that as you get older you become less interested in technology.

I have been in IT for about 10 years now. I notice that as I get older I spend less time reading tech books and programming in my spare time. In order for me to keep my skills sharp I have to find new ways to motivate myself. Here are a few things that I have done to keep myself going:

• Blogging - This forces me to always be on the lookout for new things.
• Going to Events - This Friday I am going to an MSDN event. After attending one of these events I generally find myself in front of the compiler for a few hours every night following the event. The speakers usually spend a lot of time in Visual Studio demoing the latest .NET APIs. Live demo's make the events very educational and worthwhile to attend.
• Podcasts - A few years ago on a business trip I started listening to Podcasts. My favorite podcast is .NET Rocks. .NET rocks is a great podcast, they have great guests which generally leave you feeling inspired.
• Join a User Group - Making friends with other people in the field is really a great way to keep yourself motivated. It is always great to hear what other people are working on and to share ideas. For more information about engaging with User Groups, visit this website.
• Code For Yourself - Let's face it, coding at work is not always fun. You have to follow specifications, talk with grumpy end-users and attend lots of useless meetings. That's why coding for yourself is so much better. In the past I have written applications to organize my MP3 collection, help my daughter learn her sight words and even recreate a few classic arcade games in Silverlight. When you code for yourself, you call all the shots and you have full creative reign on the project.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a future in management. If you are interested in project management and you have a knack for dealing with numbers, then go for it. However, don't become a manager just because you are too lazy to keep up with new technology. IT jobs skills require constant up-keep. If you are truly interested in your job and enjoy coming to work then the task of staying up-to-date will be much more enjoyable.