Today is the start of the rest of our lives

Happy New Year!

All over the world, people woke up this morning full of resolutions and good intentions.  Within a few weeks, they’ll feel let down and discouraged.  All the hoped for miracles/changes of behaviour will have vanished.  Why do we imbue January 1st with so much importance?  Given that our time on earth is finite, every morning offers the same promise: 24 hours in which to make a difference.

I reckon it’s just a point in time to focus the mind.  So what will I endeavour to do this year, to change or make a difference?  Here are my resolutions.  It’s 2023 so I am aiming to complete 23 Challenges:-

1. Read 23 books.
2. Use up at least 23 balls of yarn by knitting or crocheting them into items.
3. Use 23 new-to-me recipes and make dishes that I’ve never attempted before.
4. Go to the cinema at least 6 times.  (I get "free" tickets via my bank.  Might as well use them.)
5. Go to the theatre 4 times.
6. Restart my running and run in an organised 5k race.
7.  Continue with my 15 minutes a day Duolingo.  (I'm currently on day 943.  Started in 2020.)
8. 23 sessions of weight training.
9. Socialise 23 times.  This doesn't include the weekly pub quiz, RPG sessions, etc, that are already in my calendar.
10. Blog at least 23 times.
11. Spend an hour per week for 23 weeks, writing that book.  
12. Do 23 singing lessons/practice sessions resulting therefrom.  (My voice and breathing haven't recovered from Covid in December 2019.  Yes, I had it before it was famous.)
13. Make 23 phone calls to family and friends, just to catch up and chat.
14. Replace Lucky Car.  I have no choice.  At the end of August, the border of London’s ULEZ - ultra low emission zone - will be extended to include all of the outer-London suburbs.  He’s diesel, 13 years old and does not comply.
15. Go on a “proper” holiday, overseas.  We haven’t had one since the start of the Pandemic.  Destination TBA.
16. Continue doing the Fashion on the Ration Challenge on MSE.
17. Not buy any yarn in 2023.  This excludes the one skein that was ordered before Christmas, but won’t be delivered until next week.
18. Finish and sew up all my knitting and crochet WIPs or frog them.   I think there are 8 in the queue, including a couple of cardigans that just need buttons sewn on.  (This excludes the jumper and two pairs of socks currently on the needles.)
19. Dust off my sewing machine and sew a suit.
20. Complete at least one embroidery.  
21. Have 23 gardening sessions, where I do more than look at the weeds and lament.
22. For 23 weeks, spend at least an hour tidying up.  I am not one of your naturally tidy people, I want to change that. (I can put a pen on an empty table and, 10 seconds later, it’ll look like a bomb has hit it.)
23. TBA

Yes, that’s right.  I haven’t got a 23rd challenge yet.  I’ll come up with something….

Got it!  Number 23 is to reduce my Podcast queue from 639 to under 200!  God knows how it got to be so high.

- Pip