My 2007 review
2007 has been a year of glorious highs and one or two stomach-churning lows. Nevertheless, this is a blog about optimism so please indulge me while I look back solely over the highs and if you know me personally, forgive me for glossing over the lows.
I grow more convinced that the only way to achieve great things is to set goals. It seems a bit contrived in adult life, but writing down and making a commitment to where you want to be in, say, a year’s time seems to be about the most sure-fire way of arriving there.
Last January I wrote 10 new year resolutions and I’m pleased to say I stuck to them.
Running
I began running on 4th January in order to lose some weight. By 4 Feb I ran my first 10k and in September my first half marathon. The principle reason was vanity (needed to lose a stone – which I did) but there were a whole host of secondary benefits which I wouldn’t have accounted for
- increased fitness and motivation
- increased well-being; fresh air and exercise are the world’s best-kept secret health remedy
- exploring my local environment, including Leigh Woods, the Portway, the Downs and the Pill cycle path
- sense of achievement
Jazz piano
I’ve wanted to get back into playing generally but in particular I wanted to learn some jazz piano, since I was a kid. So in September I contacted Jason Rebello and had my first jazz piano lesson. I’ve also had the good fortune to get involved in accompanying the Bristol Cabot Choir so am keeping my hand in with the classical stuff too.
English
In the summer I decided that I want to further my education in an area unrelated to music or web. Initially I looked into A level courses for Maths or Physics but got lured by English Literature. And boy am I glad. To date, we’ve looked only at Carol Ann Duffy, King Lear and Emma but it’s been worth the course fees already. A whole world of culture hitherto unknown.
Professional
My employers, Futurelab, have had a successful year and I’m proud to be able to see my role in that. We relaunched two websites, Futurelab and Enquiring Minds and they are amongst the best web projects I’ve worked on in my 5 years in the trade. I also got to work with two world-class web agencies: Nameless in Bristol and Clearleft in Brighton. Futurelab are pushing and pushing me and whilst it sometimes feels like a slog, I’m grateful for the skill I gain from being here. Not to mention beer buddies :-)
Table tennis
2007 will be the year of the table tennis tournaments!
Singing
What an awesome year for singing! Spem in Alium three times, Gerontius and the Kingdom as part of Bristol’s Elgar Festival, and Three Choirs in Exeter with Wells and Bristol. I took my own choir to St David’s for a weekend of singing, boozing and all-round bon homie. Stacks of pics and anecdotes on the website.
General
So sure, the summer was a washout and England nosedived in the football again. But these things don’t matter. Sure, McLaren’s lot don’t have many goals to look back over in 2007 — but I do.
Categories: Futurelab, lifestyle, singing
