Jane and I celebrated New Year Eve in our local pub but, I’m afraid to say, were in bed by 10.30pm.  Despite not lasting out the end of year festivities, the turn of the year does always seem to me to be a highlight and a chance to think afresh about the world, and our actions within it.  What better time is there to check on past personal resolutions, set some new ones and think as hopefully as possible about what lies ahead.

My New Year resolutions have largely been the same from year to year and have revolved primarily around walking more, drinking less alcohol and managing my weight.  I’ve done ok in hitting targets in these areas and am not inclined to tighten the targets here.  I walk enough, my weight is stable and I enjoy drinking beer, wine and whiskey too much to reduce my intake to, for example, the “UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) low risk drinking guidelines, based on up-to-date scientific evidence”.  I may regret that one day, but not yet.

_{Beyond My Normal Walking Routes – An Old Cemetery in Woodchester, Near Stroud}

Another of the New Year’s resolutions last year was to do more day tripping with Jane.  The idea was to capitalise on the flexibility of my retirement and her limited working hours to decide at short notice, when the weather forecast was positive, to go on a short excursion.  We did manage that a few times – a big success, for example, was our day trip very early in 2023 to Clevedon.  But our joint resolve petered out so this New Year we have renewed it.

Once again, we have started well.  Already we have made it to Frampton on Severn, embarked on a walk along part of the Severn Estuary in squally weather, and dropped into The Bell at Frampton on Severn for a drink in a previously unvisited (by me at least) pub.  Now we have to keep that up and I’m definitely counting our trip to Edinburgh this weekend in the tally.

As targeted, I did manage to read one more book in 2023 than the paltry total I managed in 2022.  I want to read more novels and will especially focus on easy-reading crime and historical thrillers.  It is unfortunate for my resolution target that the book I have just started is a sprawling 560 page novel (by Philippa Gregory) with a tiny typeface. However, it is exactly the sort of historical novel I tend to enjoy so I hope to up my reading pace.

I have added a few more New Year Resolutions to the usual set.  One is to watch, and listen to, less ‘news’.  Its depressing, I tend to talk over it with my views and critique, and listening to it at breakfast, at lunch, before dinner and then again before bed is repetitive and needless: stop!

I really need to get out in the garden more.  There is always so much to do and the build-up of gardening tasks is one of the things that causes me anxiety while, once I get out there, gardening is one of the things that really relaxes me.  It is also good exercise despite being challenging to my back.  To compensate, I have added a resolution to stop talking about doing my routine back exercises and just do them.

There are a couple of others that will be harder to track.  I want to do something a bit more creative but need to think harder about what sorts of things that might entail (watch this space – maybe….).  Finally, I want to do a better job of satisfying my wife Jane’s frequent desire to have a coffee in town on the days we walk in together.  Being stuck in my ways, I always prefer the very hot, strong coffee we make at home but I know Jane likes the sense of occasion having a cup in a café for a change.

In the interests of transparency, here is the full set of resolutions with 2023 performance against those carried forward.  The key will be to stay healthy so their achievement is possible and hope the world doesn’t go to hell in a handbasket in the meantime.