Looking Back at 2015

I posted some new year’s resolutions for 2015 last January. So I feel I owe you an update on how I got on with them. It’s progress but not full achievement.

I made three resolutions
1. Write more
2. Read more paper books
3. Have a healthier lifestyle

1. Write More

I’m not sure that I can count this as an unqualified success. I set some specific measures that I haven’t fully achieved. However I did meet some of them, and I managed to write a lot of blog posts too. I was consistently blogging three times a week until I got promoted at work and started a 60 point level 3 undergraduate course with the open university.

This is a partial success. I’m parking it for now though. I’ve got another 60 pointer (but only at level 2) to do immediately after the current OU course to finish my degree. May 2017 will be when I can pick up writing again properly. I’ll keep doing what I can in the gaps, but I’m not going to do major works.

2. Read more Paper Books

I set myself a target of reading 20 paper books, or five more than I acquired. I read 26 paper books (out of 53 read in 2015). I started a few more paper books too but didn’t finish them.

However, I acquired over 40 paper books over the course of the year. Most of them were presents or review copies, but I didn’t exempt those. So progress but not success.

For 2016 I’ve set myself a target of reading 45 books, 23 of which should be paper. If I read more than 45 then I want more than half to be paper. It’s lower than last year but that’s because I expect to have to spend more of my time on OU work than in 2015.

3. Have a healthier lifestyle

This one I think I can claim a complete success on. In June I switched from drinking sugared squash to the sugar free stuff. I also moved to drink water at work rather than squash.

More generally I’ve cut down on sweets and crisps etc and eaten more fruit and healthy things. I’ve also tried to eat smaller portions for meals. I’ve lost about a stone in weight since last January.

So I’m keeping this resolution to eat healthy stuff, while still having the odd treat and celebratory days. I’m hoping that by January 2017 I can be under 12 stone in weight.