2016 is dead. Long live 2017. Here are my resolutions for
the coming year, along with some related observations and expectations.
1. Seize the Day (Off).
I rarely plan my days off, and when I do my foresight struggles to see past the first 48 hours.
Consequently, I repeatedly fail to visit friends who live in other cities, and have not
taken a proper 'sight-seeing' holiday for over two years - which is fairly
appalling considering that I don't have any dependents to account for.
132 Seize the Days, a travel guide published by the Lonely Planet in 2007, attempted to cajole the reader into making better use of their weekends and holidays. Although it
presumed the reader had a lot of disposable income, at least far more than I currently posses, it otherwise offered plenty of inspiration to do something interesting with those days off. To
this end, I will be using a diary planner, in conjunction with a calendar, to
plan ahead and make the most of my free time.
2. Learn a Craft.
Where I live there are a lot of opportunities to
participate in combat sport. Unfortunately the nature of my work does not
allow for facial injuries and so I will have to stay focused on grappling this year. This is not necessarily a problem. I have a fairly rag-tag martial arts background,
but little in the way of accredited technical skill. Although I am a - relatively - okay grappler
and a - below - average stand up fighter, it would be nice to be able to say that
I do 'orthodox [insert grappling style]' to a reasonably satisfactory
level. My aim for this year then is to grade in either Brazilian Ju Jitsu or Judo.
3. Specialise in the Kitchen.
Now that I have developed an all purpose cooking from scratch skill-set, it
is time to dabble in the realm of culinary specialisation. By the end of the year I hope
to have a strong grasp of at least two styles of world cuisine: I am currently hoping to learn Japanese and Scandinavian cooking. Vegan cookery may also make a later appearance, for the
sake of my vegan friends, moral conscience and general curiosity.
