Snowflake Challenge #2
27/01/2022 23:21Oh boy...
As always I have a ridiculous list of unrealistic goals that probably won't be anywhere near done by the end of the year - the fact that I'm only writing this post now should be evidence of that. I've split them up into categories and added some thoughts. In no particular order:
Diet and Exercise
My weight has gone up and down like a yoyo over the years. At one point in my life I was getting a takeaway pizza for dinner at least 5 nights a week and at another I was doing 10ks and even the occasional half marathon on a semi-regular basis. I'm just not too great at moderation (in all areas of life but especially here). I think this happens for 2 reasons:
1. I just like food too damn much. I eat to celebrate, I eat to cheer myself up when things aren't going well, I eat when I'm tired and have no energy, I eat when I'm bored... you get the idea. Everything about the process of preparing and eating food is really enjoyable to me and so it's not easy to stop.
2. Going out running a few times a week is a very achievable goal and this is a problem for me because (counterintuitively) the more achievable something seems the less motivated I feel to actually do it. It's also boring and repetitive (especially having done it for many years).
This year I want to try and find some sort of balance where I might allow myself one day of less healthy eating a week but try to stay on the straight and narrow otherwise. I also need to try and work light exercise into my day (maybe go for a walk in the morning and at lunchtime) rather than going out running in the evening but being otherwise sedentary.
Mixology
In total contravention of the above goal I'd like to continuing making and enjoying many lovely cocktails. I probably made about 30 different cocktails in the last third or so of 2021 and the kitchen is beginning to look like a bar (minus the soldering equipment).
Cooking
I started learning to cook seriously around 2018 and I would now consider myself a fairly competent cook. I feel like I now know most of the classic 'riffs' of cooking and this year I'd like to try my hand at putting together some of my own dishes (we're talking different fillings for omelettes here not molecular gastronomy). The benefit of this is that I can let the ingredients that are actually available dictate what I make instead of sticking rigidly to what's in a recipe book and wasting food because I can't think of anything to do with the leftover ingredients. I'd also like to do more baking since I'm still fairly new to it.
Electronics
2021 was probably the year where I improved at electronics the most (see this post) and I want to continue building on those successes in 2022.
Guitar
Guitar is my oldest (~15 years) and most well-developed hobby. Despite this I haven't played guitar solo or with a band live since 2018 (obviously Covid happened/is happening but that's only part of the issue.) I've decided that the solution is to take the plunge and start doing open mic nights and/or jam nights at local venues. This would hopefully give me the opportunity to network and find other people who like to play the same stuff. I do have a YouTube channel (with the sum total of 1 video of myself playing guitar) and this is sort of ok as a stop-gap but it just isn't the same as playing music with a group of people who are passionate about it.
Programming
As well as being my job (sort of) programming is something I really enjoy doing for fun. Like guitar it's getting quite long in the tooth and I'm reasonably confident in my abilities. On top of the usual work-related topics some specific things I'd like to look into are modding games (in particular Crash Bandicoot) and writing Android apps. If I can find the time I'd also like to contribute to an open source project.
Media
In 2021 I read 7 books which isn't many but it's still probably the most I've read in a year. I played through 6 games (which has been my yearly average since about 2018) and watched probably about 30 or 40 films. 2022 will probably be a mixture of old media that I'd like to revisit (I'm currently playing through the Sly Cooper series remaster on PS3) and newer stuff like Resident Evil Village which (Lady D notwithstanding) I know nothing about.
Go Skydiving
I'm never been a huge fan of heights but jumping out of a plane is something I really want to try before I die and 2022 could be the year!
Anyway that's it. Let's see how I do one year on!
As always I have a ridiculous list of unrealistic goals that probably won't be anywhere near done by the end of the year - the fact that I'm only writing this post now should be evidence of that. I've split them up into categories and added some thoughts. In no particular order:
Diet and Exercise
My weight has gone up and down like a yoyo over the years. At one point in my life I was getting a takeaway pizza for dinner at least 5 nights a week and at another I was doing 10ks and even the occasional half marathon on a semi-regular basis. I'm just not too great at moderation (in all areas of life but especially here). I think this happens for 2 reasons:
1. I just like food too damn much. I eat to celebrate, I eat to cheer myself up when things aren't going well, I eat when I'm tired and have no energy, I eat when I'm bored... you get the idea. Everything about the process of preparing and eating food is really enjoyable to me and so it's not easy to stop.
2. Going out running a few times a week is a very achievable goal and this is a problem for me because (counterintuitively) the more achievable something seems the less motivated I feel to actually do it. It's also boring and repetitive (especially having done it for many years).
This year I want to try and find some sort of balance where I might allow myself one day of less healthy eating a week but try to stay on the straight and narrow otherwise. I also need to try and work light exercise into my day (maybe go for a walk in the morning and at lunchtime) rather than going out running in the evening but being otherwise sedentary.
Mixology
In total contravention of the above goal I'd like to continuing making and enjoying many lovely cocktails. I probably made about 30 different cocktails in the last third or so of 2021 and the kitchen is beginning to look like a bar (minus the soldering equipment).
Cooking
I started learning to cook seriously around 2018 and I would now consider myself a fairly competent cook. I feel like I now know most of the classic 'riffs' of cooking and this year I'd like to try my hand at putting together some of my own dishes (we're talking different fillings for omelettes here not molecular gastronomy). The benefit of this is that I can let the ingredients that are actually available dictate what I make instead of sticking rigidly to what's in a recipe book and wasting food because I can't think of anything to do with the leftover ingredients. I'd also like to do more baking since I'm still fairly new to it.
Electronics
2021 was probably the year where I improved at electronics the most (see this post) and I want to continue building on those successes in 2022.
Guitar
Guitar is my oldest (~15 years) and most well-developed hobby. Despite this I haven't played guitar solo or with a band live since 2018 (obviously Covid happened/is happening but that's only part of the issue.) I've decided that the solution is to take the plunge and start doing open mic nights and/or jam nights at local venues. This would hopefully give me the opportunity to network and find other people who like to play the same stuff. I do have a YouTube channel (with the sum total of 1 video of myself playing guitar) and this is sort of ok as a stop-gap but it just isn't the same as playing music with a group of people who are passionate about it.
Programming
As well as being my job (sort of) programming is something I really enjoy doing for fun. Like guitar it's getting quite long in the tooth and I'm reasonably confident in my abilities. On top of the usual work-related topics some specific things I'd like to look into are modding games (in particular Crash Bandicoot) and writing Android apps. If I can find the time I'd also like to contribute to an open source project.
Media
In 2021 I read 7 books which isn't many but it's still probably the most I've read in a year. I played through 6 games (which has been my yearly average since about 2018) and watched probably about 30 or 40 films. 2022 will probably be a mixture of old media that I'd like to revisit (I'm currently playing through the Sly Cooper series remaster on PS3) and newer stuff like Resident Evil Village which (Lady D notwithstanding) I know nothing about.
Go Skydiving
I'm never been a huge fan of heights but jumping out of a plane is something I really want to try before I die and 2022 could be the year!
Anyway that's it. Let's see how I do one year on!
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Date: 17/03/2022 13:39 (UTC)