2008

In my earliest real post (ignoring the first test post) on this blog I began:

If I don't start writing things down...

...i'm never going to remember anything.

I really hate that post. Reading it grates with me. Trying far too hard, making suggestions that I didn't really have intentions of following through on, and coming across like a school newspaper reviewer. That I enjoy reading my newer posts is a good indicator of progress towards a more honest and comfortable blog, which is certainly something I prefer.

It's great to look back and see progress large and small in any field, which circles right back to the top, and the purpose of this post - how can I track progress if I don't record goals. Funny how that linked back in.


I was going to do some categorising here, but I think a muddled list of blurted plans and goals is better to keep the mind spinning:

- In the second half of 2007 I drank ridiculous amounts of coffee every day. At work starting tomorrow, I will start the morning and afternoon with a coffee and have a cup of tea midway through each also. If anybody offers me a drink beyond that, or if i'm thirsty, i'll take water.

- I'll cut out what had become a daily visit to a vending machine as of tomorrow. I will continue to unapologetically eat 3-4 pieces of fruit throughout the day. My lunch will return to the Tuna salad which served me well last year, but alternate to pasta every few weeks, just to keep things interesting. Is this too specific? Perhaps.

- I will limit myself to one game of play poker on week days.

- I will watch two films each week until my Blockbuster list is as empty as possible, then review whether to continue with the subscription service - If I got excellent value from the deal in the first year i've definitely let that slip in the second.

- I will start taking my camera everywhere again, and use it. I can't work out why I've stopped doing this anyway. A week should not pass without new photos having been taken.

- I will have bought at least two new work shirts by the end of January. Two of my current work shirts I bought in 2002, and it shows. Two more aren't much better. Oh yes, and NEITHER ONE will be blue. I have four blue work shirts. I never wear blue outside work. Very strange.

- I will review this list every week, recording progress, success, failure, and in the case of failure, how to resolve to success.

- Write a new song every month in 2008. Not lyrics; i'm not good at that.. just the music.

- Meet my existing work goals to allow me to reach the next stage at my current grade by April.

- Start talking to people in positions (work) that I am interested in to get a genuine feeling for what the work entails. Have something to talk about on this point by the end of February.

- Make a final decision on whether or not to pursue a career involving man management by June. Elimination is better than nothing for the man with no direction.

- Commit to a set exercise schedule three times a week by end of second week in January. Alternate activities on a non-weekly basis to avoid it feeling overly routine. Aim for 90 minutes of constant exertion for real benefit. Swims must not be 45 minutes as they have been in the past, and cycling can't just be a 20 minute activity. Make a concerted effort to bring old weight bench back into use as a third activity after moving somewhere hopefully with space.

- Seriously research whether the type of work I undertake would transfer to other businesses at the same salary - this seems unlikely. Look into what would be required to bridge this likely gap. Do this before the end of February.

- Look into what work away from a computer screen could interest me. Do this by April.

- Decide where i'd really rather live - Solihull, or closer to Birmingham centre. Do this by the end of January. Once decided, work on locking down a new let for early April by the end of February, ideally with 1 week but no more of overlap to allow move. This is always tough. This time with furniture and a longer distance (i've moved around Leicester 5 times in 6 years but without any large possessions or difficulty) it's likely to be tougher still.

- Do not let a week pass without contacting at least one of my friends, with or without a specific reason.

That'll do at this point. I'm no believer in setting things like this in stone, but these seem like some good points to push. I had hoped to put a few more career goals in there, but the ongoing indecision makes that difficult, so instead I threw in a few that might get me closer to being able to set some more specific ones a little later.

So, it's 9pm on 01/01/08. Well rested after a week away from the office i'm ready for a new if slightly ambiguous challenge starting tomorrow. Wish me luck, and good luck to anybody else raising their bar today!