Review Of 2015 Goals

Posted

This probably isn’t my most interesting of posts, but I like to have it up for posterity.  Red text denotes success or lack of it:

Lifestyle

Lose Weight – So I didn’t quite manage my 6kg target last year.  I finished at 94kg, pretty much what I started on but averaged 91.5kg.  My goal is to get down to 87kg by December.  It’s a long-term goal – a lifestyle change not a crash diet.  I had got down to 89k, but ended close to 93kg.  Total failure.

Monthly No Computer Evening – I live my life around my computer.  All day at work and I’m sat in front of it most of the time I am at home.  So on the 19th of each month (chosen by random number generator, of course), my computer goes off at 6pm.  It doesn’t matter what I do – sleep, socialise, cleaning, DJing, whatever.  Just no sitting in front of the computer.  I didn’t like the rigidity of it, so I instead made it more positive and created a monthly movie night, monthly going out for dinner, monthly exercise night/day and monthly DJ practice.  I’m not really following it to the plan, but I do now exercise more, practice DJing more and watch more movies.

31 Day Detox – Last year I detoxed for the whole of February – this year I won’t get back from Poland until 2nd February so I am starting my detox on 3rd February and continuing until 5th March.  Successfully completed.

Try An Activity – Yoga, rock-climbing, rowing, salsa dancing, ballet – it doesn’t matter – I need to try something that involves exercise.  Nope.  Not even thought about it.  Though I nearly went to watch a friend do flamenco.  Except I was in Ibiza.

Get On My Bike.  I did buy a bike in 2013.  I will eventually get on it and ride it.  100m is the target for 2015.  Actually I’ll keep it simple – buying a bike pump for my flat tyres is the target.  Successful completed.  I pumped my tyres up, and I do ride my bike every sober weekend when the weather is vaguely acceptable.  Target smashed.

Fashion Icon – Short shorts, sparkly stuff, blue shoes and a collection of Happy Feet socks are all required.  I have my short shorts and happy feet socks which fell apart so made me unhappy.  I bought some green sequinned shoes, and also a blue sequinned tracksuit from China which as an Asian large is way too small from me.  Target smashed.

Go Places

Go to 2 new countries.  Poland is already booked and I aim to go to Switzerland.  Why?  Because the random country generator told me to.  Granted it picked Somalia first but I decided that I should probably wait until there is a little more stability before visiting there.  I went to Poland and Portugal.  I didn’t make it to Switzerland but the target was achieved.

Ibiza.  I am going!  I might even go twice.  I went!

2 New UK Adventures – I am well-travelled across the UK – you could name most towns and cities and I have been to them.  There are a few notable exceptions such as Brighton and Slough.  But also there are cities that I feel I have vastly unexplored such as Liverpool & Newcastle so another goal is to explore two new/unexplored urban areas of this wonderful country of ours.  I went to Slough.  50% successful.

2 New Football Stadiums – Hull City AFC may not be in the Premier League forever so it would be sensible to tick off a couple more grounds whilst I can.  The lifelong aim is to go to all 92 grounds – but football isn’t a priority.  Not managed any yet.  I went to Brentford.  50% achieved.

Countryside & Castles – I want to explore the countryside in my local area and visit at least one castle/palace.  By the end of 2015 I want to have done a 12 mile walk.  Studying is usurping walking, but I did go to Mapledurham House.  Not quite a castle though.  Kind of half achieved.

Take A Foreigner To Watch Cricket – I intend on going to watch cricket a couple of times this year – not fussed whether that is 20/20, a day at a test match or just a local cricket club but I must take a foreigner to watch cricket.  An Aussie does not count.  Failed this one – but I did kind of get my sister into it.

House Music

DJing – I want one set a month.  No more – unless it is paid.  I need to rebrand my website – again – but most importantly I need to release one mix a month, and also have promotional materials to hand out to people when DJing.  Still not done the promotional materials, but I did rebrand my website.

Cocoon In The Park.  As soon as details are released I am booking my hotel.  I don’t care whether anyone else is up for it though of course that would be ever better.  It’s the best festival I have ever been to with my favourite DJs.  I’ll go by myself if I have to.  However this does depend on the date as it might clash with Ibiza.  If it clashes with Ibiza then I’ll do something else special.  It clashed with Ibiza.  Sounds like it was full of Carl Cox fanboys anyway…twatts.

Secretsundaze – This is one brilliant party, I enjoy it so much.  I went and it closed early.

Fabric Birthday – I’m kind of going off fabric, certainly going off the crowd there anyway.  But the birthday is special.  I would like to go this year.  I went!

Romanians – I want to see some Romanian DJs this year – Barac or Cristi Cons would ideal.  I saw Cristi Cons.  Achieved.  Didn’t quite make it to Romania though.

The Usuals – Sven and Ricardo, of course.  Somewhere, sometime.  I saw Ricardo.  Not Sven.  Not that bothered either.

Learn Things

Spanish.  Given that the eventual goal for my web development studying is to be living and working from Ibiza, and with languages being more difficult to learn than code, I need to start now.  I have an app called Duolingo which is pretty good and can learn whilst having a poo.  The goal is to complete the app.  And chat up hot Spanish women with one side of their hair shaved off when in Ibiza.  Cuántos elefantes tienes?  Bien para no muy bien.  Si si yo achivo.

JavaScript.  I received a 930 page JavaScript book for Christmas.  This is going to be the bane of my year.  JavaScript is ‘var = function(fucking (hard));’.  But I need to know it well if I am going to make a future career in web development.  Slowly.

Drupal, WordPress, Bootstrap & CSS Animations.  Without going into too much detail, these are technologies that I need to learn next.  Drupal is a content management system, as is WordPress.  Wordpress will allow me to create better-looking blogs than Blogger does.  Bootstrap is Twitter’s framework to make it easier to make good-looking responsive websites.  I’ve learnt the basics of WordPress and Bootstrap, and have just started learning Drupal.

Cooking.  I really enjoy my cooking – 5 years ago I didn’t even have any pepper in my cupboard.  This year I want to expand my knowledge and buy cookbooks about the cuisine of two other countries.  They will be countries close to the UK!!!!  Irish, French or Spanish, in all likelihood.  I have been bought a Spanish cookbook and done a few bits from it.

Blogs & Projects

Top Tunes – I need to do a total rebrand for this blog. I don’t think having my name against this is good for marketing.  Each post is read by around 30 people – which is nice – but I feel people would be more likely to read, follow and share if it had a generic branding instead of being focused on a wannabe DJ with 82 fans.  I now have a good plan.  But I haven’t started it.

Ubereadoolische – I sometimes think about giving this up but then I forget that followers/readers is not the goal – it is supposed to be my practice ground for my web development.  This year I will redesign it using my new-found jQuery skills, improved design ideas probably once I have gained knowledge of Drupal.  The plan is in my head.  It is 60% completed.

Roast Dinners Around Reading – I want to achieve a minimum of 25 new places reviewed and have at least 200 followers on Facebook & Twitter.  Smashed it.

Sweeney Todd Pie Blog – Every remaining pie must be reviewed.  There are still some pies left and I don’t live in Reading.

Weather Forecast – I am aiming for a minimum of 1,800 followers which is roughly double what I started the year at.  I must complete the rebrand with a professional photographer and also I want to read at least one scientific book to advance my understanding.  Smashed it already though I haven’t read a scientific book yet.

Fish Out Dolan Out – It’s my Hull City blog, in case you haven’t realised.  It seems to be more popular on Twitter so I’m aiming for a FB/TW 100/500 follower count.  Halfway there.

The Only Tory From Hull – It’s election year and this is my politics blog.  My aim is for 100 followers on either Facebook or Twitter.  I feel this is going to be a slow burner.  Not even half way there yet.  This is indeed a slow burner.  I think I’m bored of it.

Things To Buy

Rockit speakers.  I do have half-decent speakers now but I really want to upgrade.  Especially useful if I ever decide to host a BBQ this coming summer, which I might.  They are amazing.

Sound Card – I need to improve the sound quality that my computer can record my mixes at.  It is fine now but fine isn’t good enough.  It definitely helped.

CD Printer – To print promotional CDs for my DJing.  Purchased.  Used it to print prime ministers.

Microsoft Surface – I just want one, ok?  For studying on the train, outside in the sunshine, etc.  Stick your apple up your arse.  Probably a waste of money.  We’ll see.

CDJ stands – I need to get my CDJs onto stands to create some space for…  Next purchase.

Technics – I really want to learn how to play vinyl.  So I need some technics and some vinyl.  Very unlikely to happen until May/June.

Decide Things

Job.  I’ve been in this job for 3 years now.  I am happy.  But I didn’t get a pay rise last year and am not advancing my career.  I don’t like uncertainty so my first decision is whether to commit myself to another 12-18 months here or start job hunting.  I’ve had enough but I haven’t even had an interview let alone got another job.

House.  My housemate is almost definitely moving out so I will need to find somewhere new to live.  This is partly dependant on what I choose above – if I stay working in Bracknell then I will probably move to Bracknell so the travel time can be put into studying.  Yeah I know.  If I get a job in Reading then I will stay in Reading.  If I get a job in London then I will move there.  I moved to Bracknell.  Not sure if that counts as success.

Career Path.  I need to decide whether to take a very junior role doing web development or a more senior role doing credit control, as my next job.  I’m veering towards the first option.  Though I do change my mind occasionally.

Quite a successful year overall at 63%.

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