Figured it was about time I had a look at my resolutions, considering I’ve had enough time to make a dent in them. This year is moving particularly fast, isn’t it?

1. Begin drawing again. ✔ ★

Basically just doodles. Stuff in my notepad at work between calls. My notepad at work is pretty much just classified information and strange landscapes. I have to bin the pages when they’re done, but I managed to sneak a couple pics of one day’s work.

  

They were far from my best. Still counts though!

2. Improve appearance now thin enough to buy clothes. ✔

Big step in the right direction here. See before and after below.

It’s been said by people, in between the relentless praise, I’m following the same trajectory as the Kings of Leon. I had to Google that as I haven’t given a shit about them since Molly’s Chambers, and that was itself a single, solitary shit.

I was horrified, but can assume it was meant to be a compliment.

I must never buy a waistcoat.

3. Continue weight loss, and begin running. ✔

I twisted my ankle just after Christmas, and it still ain’t better. I have technically lost weight though, just not perhaps at the rate I’d like. Ah well, ankle’s on the mend.

4. Get a better permanent job, with a living wage. ✘

My job is terrible and I still have it.

5. Move house. ✘

I still go home to the same place each night.

6. Write at least one piece of classical performable music. ✘

I’ve changed this one a bit. It’s partly out of discussion with performer friends of mine over the years (Dan and Gaz in particular, if you’re reading). It’s all to do with my crippling fear of failure which I need to destroy.

Apparently a very public failure is the best thing for it. So I’m gonna write some songs on the guitar, after brushing up on the guitar, and I’m gonna sing them live somewhere. And I’m gonna put my heart and soul into them, and I’m gonna be bad, because I am bad, and I’m gonna be met by the cold indifference and hushed whispers of an unimpressed crowd of strangers.

Then I’ll stop being terrified of finishing projects, talking to single girls I like, and generally admitting things about me.

Supposedly.

7. Try to write every day, or at least work on something. ✘

Well I guess I’ve already failed that. “Try to work on something every day”? WTF is that shit? Impossible.

8. Plan graphic novel/comic series. ✔ ★

Well, it’s planned. It’s called, provisionally, Into the Black. It’s a series of barely connected standalone stories, with one-shots in between.

Several months worth of these stories have been planned out.

9. Online dating when thin enough. ✘

Not thin enough yet. Three girls have tried to chat me up this year. Was too drunk and/or scared to do owt about it, also wasn’t necessarily that interested in them.

So: not thin enough yet, and see section 6 above for more info regarding fear of failure / rejection.

10. Finish and edit novel, and send to agents/publishers. ✔

I broke my self-imposed exile from the world I created, and I wrote a thousand words the other day. It was easy. I just stepped back inside and wrote what I saw.

Now, I’m not saying it’s good, and it’ll need an extensive rewrite, but I did it. It’s been about five months since I could bear to touch it.

This is my real victory. That shit had been killing me.

Read first draft of first chapter here.

11. Learn German. ✘

Like it’s ever gonna happen. I’m an Englishman, and as such, doomed to an arrogant ignorance in this respect.

How I wish I could beat my arrogant ignorance.

12. Learn basic programming. ✔ ★

I’ve learnt HTML and CSS, and started on Javascript! And I now know what those things are! Seem to have a knack for it too. I guess this one is technically complete, but I’m gonna stick with it.

Conclusion

So score for February 19th 2014 is three completed, three underway, and six untouched. Not bad so far.