Brand Sparkling Glittery New Year.

Happy New Year!

As i've wittered about on before, I think it's important to have acheivable and positive aims in life, things that are a bit difficult to do but not so difficult that it's impossible.

Last year I wanted to.... (insert quote)

"I've decided to see 2005 as my year of opportunities. This means lots of things.

• I will not worry about what i'm doing when I graduate (too soon now for my liking) but rather look forwards to the opportunities that will be open to me then.
• I will seize the chances that i want to take and not let self doubt hold me back, because heck I'm too young to have any regrets.
• I will instead of worrying about what my degree result will be, see my degree as one of many opportunities in life. Loads of people don't get the chance to go to university, I have, and put in this context, not getting a first is not the end of the world.
• and of course, the opportunities that I'll have in the next year to meet new people, make new friends and try new things.

And hell, I really think that I did well! A matter of weeks after I wrote that i decided what I really really wanted to do when i graduated (a PhD) and I thought - despite missing most of the deadlines that i woudl at least take the opportunities that various places gave me to try for funding. And I got funding. So that was rather yay. I did stop worrying so much what my degree result was going to be, and really, really REALLY loved my fianl semester because I was quite happy really pottering along with my work and managed to totally relax when out in the evenings. And then I got a first anyway. And yeah, I've made so many new friends this year, met so many interesting (and some boring) people and been to so many new places and tried lots of new things - like running.

But I think I want to be a bit more specific this year. I can carry on with the mindset I forced myself to develop this year.

So, this year, my positivie, acheivable aims are to

(1) Run the Reading Half marathon (April 9th, i would like suggestions of another charity to cajole people to support me. I've decided on the national society of deaf children as one, have no idea what the other is going to be).

(2) Write a totally aces and skill MA dissertation.

(3) To stop buying so many magazines. No more than three a month. So far I have got none this month, yay me. I am going to READ newspapers I buy instead of getting them and leaving them on the kitchen table for weeks before putting them in the recycling.