New Years Resolutions...

Dramatic skies on New Year's Eve.

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with the ole resolutions. I outwardly diss them but inwardly make them. I hate that there are certain ones I have made again and again and failed (*cough* finish phd *cough*). I also find that I do get stuck in ruts and I like to pull myself out and re assess what I am up to and making a resolution is kinda handy for that. I also like to take things that have been rattling around in my brain box as ideas and think thorugh how I will actually finish/start them. Soooooo here goes:

Number One is the biggie and the one I have been saying since the start of 2007:

FINISH THE DAMNED PhD!

There is no good reason for me not to finish this. Even though I didn't finish last year I made real progress and if I hadn't of had to do some teaching work for money in second semester and write a commissioned piece I would probably be done. I have only two chapters left to make into polished up drafts and submitted for 'shredding' by my supervisor. There are lots of little things to do like thorough footnote fixing, the image catalogue and so on. My plan is to finish the final chapters over January and have them ready for my supervisor when he gets back from o/s. The spend February fixing these and the last two I gave him, and basically hand in at the start of March. Which will be before I turn 30. Also mum is aiming for the same time and it would be fun to finish together and go to the same graduation.

The rest of my resolutions are a mix of things I have been thinking of doing for ages, things I want to do and just silly stuff and also various things motivated by the fact I am turning 30 in May.

1. Learn to drive (step 1 should be get my L plates again, I did get them in late 1997 but apparently they aren't valid for 12 years, who knew?).
2. Learn how to use the weights at the gym. I keep having shoulder and back pain and I know strengthening will help. I also want to look more like a female superhero.
3. Stop ignoring things that stress me out so that I end up even more stressed out. Just deal with them and ask someone if I need help/answers.
4. Get some kind of job that isn't stressful and underpaid tutoring.
5. Go overseas, sick of being stuck in Melbourne.
6. Start applying for all those post docs I keep noting down and forgetting to apply for.
7. Work towards being able to run 10km, this should help with the superhero stuff too I guess.
8. Read more novels (this will hopefully be easier post PhD).
9. Watch more movies, I always think I don't have time but then end up sitting down and watching 6 episodes in a row of a tv show.
10. Make more jewellery instead of just arranging beads in rows and then putting them away again.
11. Finish my knitting projects and make clothes out of all the fabric I keep buying.
12. Try and add at least two new new and tasty dinners a month to my general repertoire.

That'll do.

Strange skies on New Year's Day.