Two Thousand And Three : The Year In Words

I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions. I don't hold much stock in them, and they're seen as frivolous undertakings that are done for the sake of it. For example, a while ago (eleven years if I remember correctly) I resolved to stop calling female friends 'tart'. I believe that may have lasted around six hours.

On the other hand, I do have some clear aspirations for the year, that are more goals to be achieved than token promises to be broken. They will take time and effort, and I want to stick to them.

1. Get Fit. I'm very unfit. And I'm overweight. And my metabolism is pretty fucked up. I have been making half-hearted efforts to get fit for the past two years, but this year I need to do more. It's not going to be easy by any means, but somehow I'm going to get there. I hope. Haven't decided exactly how just yet, but that's another matter.

2. Get A New Job. My job sucks. I've been in it five years now, and things have deteriorated dramatically in the past eighteen or so months. This is nothing to do with the people I work with, more to do with the company I work for. It's very difficult to see how I can continue to develop my career in the job I'm in. I don't want to move up the managerial ladder, I want to do funkier things with newer technologies, and become a bit of a technical so and so. This isn't going to happen where I am, and as a result I have almost no motivation and no interest in what I'm doing. Occasionally I find it challenging, but that's not enough. However, not only does my job suck, but the IT job market also sucks. Things are not going to change in a hurry.

3. Get Published. A certain friend of mine who I don't often mention is also aspiring towards publication this year. We've been egging each other on to make a go of it, we admire each other's writing, and we've both reached a point where fanfic is becoming old hat. Our strengths I think lie in different areas, which I think helps us appreciate each others writing more. Anyway, at some point this winter (or maybe spring), I will have a finished first draft of Pepper Rats, my NaNoWriMo novel. Hopefully at some point later in the year I will have a version I feel happy about submitting to publishers. We shall have to see.

4. Get Qualified. Well, this isn't quite so serious as it might sound, and of all this aspirations, this is probably the least "heavy duty" of the lot. Regular readers will know that I'm currently learning British Sign Language Level 2 for the second time, having failed the exam first time around in Summer 2001. I was very unhappy after I failed, but determined not to give up. This then is an important goal for the year, but doesn't quite fall into the same category as the others. In addition, thought I don't think it will be possible to do it this year, I have also become interested in becoming qualified as an electrician. Yes, wiring one ring-main has been enough for me to get the bug. Fear ye, fear ye.

So there you have it. If I'm still keeping this diary in a year's time, I'll come back to this then and see how I did.