Private Thoughts Made Public

I keep doing the same thing every year. I keep telling myself that this year is going to be different, this is the year I’m going to get my act together and sort my life out once and for all. Last year I started with all the best intentions (in fact, I think some of them started in late 2003). I resolved to eat healthier food and do more exercise. Which I did, in a way, but nowhere near to the extent that i wanted to. I had visions of me working out on my multigym three times a week, of eating more vegetables and proper meat instead of the pre-packed pre-cooked pre-blanded saddo meal-for-one from the local supermarket, of building up my stamina and going for long walks up mountains and taking fantastic photographs of the view.
Here’s my review of all my fads and fancies, with a rating on how well I think I did with each of them:
The multigym hasn’t been touched in about 11 months, although I have occasionally (very occasionally) picked up the dumbells and lifted them up in the air a dozen or so times. Rating: 0.5 out of 10
Walking has been a reasonable success. I walked from home into Manchester once (a distance of 11 miles) and from Manchester nearly back home once (9 miles). I went to Anglesea for a walking holiday and did three walks, the longest of which was about 9 miles. But I stopped walking when the weather turned cold, and haven’t left the house with the intention of walking for exercise since the end of October. Rating: 5 out of 10
I bought myself a new bike and went out on it a few times. Again, my feeble excuse for not cycling more has been the weather. Pathetic, I know, and must try harder this year. Rating: 4 out of 10
Food: I found that if I cooked myself a proper healthy meal with proper ingredients (i.e. steak, broccoli, carrots, boiled potatoes) I found I was cooking (and therefore eating) enough for two. So although I was getting all the nutrients I needed, I was eating more than I was before, so the extra pounds obviously didn’t fall off me. Over the course of the year I have changed my eating habits slightly, hopefully for the better. I’m not buying bread any more which means I’m not constantly snacking on sandwiches. I’m taking a packed lunch to work most days which consists of hardboiled egg, piece of cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, raw carrot and a few slices of cucumber. So far so good Still not losing weight, but not eating as much rubbish as in the past. Rating: 5 out of 10
Work: This is a recent addition to the “change of regime” plan. It’s taken me far too long to realise that I’m not being challenged in my job, and that it doesn’t pay me enough to have a decent lifestyle (as you may have noticed, all the hobbies I’ve mentioned so far are ones which don’t exactly cost a fortune). So I’m doing something about that – teaching myself some new skills and hopefully getting a new job this year. rating: 3 out of 10 (score so low because I didn’t start doing something about this until November)
Relationships: My divorce came through two years ago this month. I’m still single. I’m not sure if I mind being single or not, but due to various factors hinted at above, I’ve not exactly been going out of my way to find a new girlfriend. I don’t like my weight, my teeth or my hair. I can’t afford to take anyone out to dinner, let alone whisk them away to Paris for the weekend. If I don’t think I’m a good catch, how can I expect anyone else to?
So my new year’s resolution for 2005 is for self-improvement, both physically and mentally. I want to end the year with a job I enjoy doing, a social life, and a general feeling of self-worth and well-being. And now that I’ve said all that in public, I’d better stick to it!
Happy New Year