As this time last year, this month’s “ten things” list is suitably topical.
Regular readers will recall that I don’t do new year resolutions. In general, especially the way we do them, I think new year resolutions just set you up to fail: we always try to eat the elephant in one go. I’m going to go to the gym every day is unrealistic; but going once or twice a week (which would be a good start) is perhaps achievable. And so on.
I also don’t believe in mortification of the flesh and making myself do things which I don’t enjoy. We’re always told to do things like yoga, listen to music, or drink tea as great stress busters — they’re fine if they work for you and you enjoy them. But there is one much, much better way to manage your stress: If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. And that applies, in triplicate, to new year resolutions!
Nevertheless here is a list of 10 things I am going to try to do in 2016, in no special order:
- Keep breathing
- Go somewhere/do something I’ve not done before
- Be drawn/painted/photographed nude by someone other than family
- Visit the Horniman Museum
- Try to visit these four exhibitions:
Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution (National Maritime Museum)
Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture (Tate Modern)
Scholar, Courtier, Magician: The Lost Library of John Dee (RCP)
Bagpuss, Noggin the Nog & Clangers (V&A Museum of Childhood) - Attend the Anthony Powell Conference in York
- Visit at least one steam railway
- Keep drinking more champagne
- Get paid my state pension
- Take more photographs than last year
The eagle-eyed will see that some of these are things I failed (or indeed succeeded) at last year. And, of course, some are going to be a lot harder than others, so it remains to be seen how successful I shall be, but we’ll give it a go and not be majorly disappointed if we fail.