Ben Ward

Resolutions

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It’s the new year. And there are things in my life that are really quite different to new years of the past. This is a new year that I feel genuinely happy and positive about, rather than indifferent and agnostic which is how I normally greet the increment of YYYY.

This year I have two resolutions.

Every day I will read from a book. Even if just a little, I will endeavour to make reading a regular part of my days.

For far too many years I haven’t really read many books at all. Next to me as I write this are three that I started and didn’t finish. When I read I enjoy it, but for some reason I just don’t when left to my own devices. This year I want that to change. Without books I’m feeling unfulfilled. I’m feeling left out of something that makes other people — notably Hanni — very happy indeed.

Every morning I will do sit-ups. Now, there are certain individuals in the world who — if they read this at all — will — if they were drinking at the time — possibly have spat all over their computer with laughter at reading this. It’s true; I vow to regularly do sit-ups rather often (four or five times last year, at least). I manage it once, twice — perhaps for a week — and then stop. Maybe I’ll fail again but at least it’ll do me some post-Christmas good. Also, this time I’ve ordered myself a fitness mat on which to do them.

Happy new year.

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  1. Adam

    I don’t think there’s anything in there that I don’t identify with on one level or another! I too want to read more often and get rid of some of the excess blubber burrently residing about my person.

    I’m sure that, give a week or two, I’ll still be reading most days and the sit-ups will be long-forgotten, but then 1 out of 2 aint bad!

  2. Ben O'Neill

    I think the book thing is true for quite a lot of people. I really enjoy most of the books I read, but making myself start a book is often very hard.

  3. IBBoard

    I’m the other way round – I’ll read fairly often (normally a little bit at least a few times a week) but I end up with a couple of books on the go at the same time :D

    At the moment I’m reading Science of Discworld 2, before which I read Science of Discworld 3 (we got hold of it first for some reason :D). It’s not quite a normal book but during Science of Discworld 2 I’ve read the QI book of General Ignorance. Even better, I started Science of Discworld 3 (and possibly even Pratchett’s Wintersmith before that) while I’m half way through the “House Harkonnen” Dune book. I will get round to reading it to the end at some point (maybe after Science of Discworld 2 and Why Penguin’s Feet Don’t Freeze) but I’m sure it’s not right to have so many books on the go at once!

    Good luck with the resolutions ;) I never bother making any because I know they just won’t stay.

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