Life List for 2009

When 2009 rolled around, I had made a list of tasks for me to work on for  the year. I’d written them down (my handwriting has got even worse since then, somehow), and I put them in a drawer, and forgot about them. Things as they are, I think it’s worth taking a look at it and compare it to what I have done this year.

• Get a new job. This is one I’ll probably write down next year, and the year after that as well. As much as my job gives me security, and my parents a little more income to pay the bills, it doesn’t have a future. It’s me standing at a till counter, serving people their cereal, milk, cigarettes, alcohol etc etc. That’s it. As much as I want to have responsibility, I don’t want it where my skills are wasted. My only interaction with anything that remotely uses any brainpower is when I hit ‘Cash Keyed’ and guess how much change I’m meant to give before it tells me. I’ve made a move, and started a fresh industry course in Videogames Design. It’s going to take just under a couple of years to complete, but I’m more than happy to put the time in if it gives me a future.
• Learn to drive. One I’ve finally started at, after being berrated by my parents since I turned 17. I’m learning, and I’m now going out onto the roads to get some experience. It’s a lot of fun to be honest, but I’ll never admit that in front of the wheel; I’ll be too busy worrying about getting my car moving after a T-junction or crossroads.
• Lose some weight. I’m a big guy, and I’m getting tired of it. Especially since I now have someone to impress. Yet I came back to this on my own a couple of months ago. I’ve dropped about three inches off my waist, and I’m keeping it off which is more important. I’m getting my bike fixed over Christmas, so that’ll be my exercise.
• Get out more. I’ve not entirely nailed this one either. But it’s well on it’s way. Meeting Amie for the first time was almost uncomfortable because I felt slightly agoraphobic. But last time I went, I smoked a waterpipe. She wanted to, and asked me to take a few puffs from it. Getting there.
• Get a GTD system in place. This was because I was in full blogging movement at the time (I’d been moving along from GameOnYou UK to GamesAreEvil), but it’s still worth doing. GTD = Getting Things Done. Basically a system to give procrastinators a kick in the rear end. I tried using Remember The Milk, but that’s too involved for me. I keep coming back to Tracks, which is something I would love to run on my own server, but it requires SSH. Hostnine have been a little problematic with SSH, so I’ll have a look around when my hosting term is up.

Out of five, I have a total of none. But they’re all in progress. I’m changing career, I’m learning to drive, I’m losing (and keeping off) weight, I’m getting out more and I’m working on my procrastination.

I just think it’s worth noting this stuff down, so I can look in November 2010, and see what the change has been between then and now.