27

Warning – This is very much a personal blog post and it will be a bit sickly to most of you so I wouldn’t even bother. You may not be able to concentrate on the words due to the self-important sound of me slapping myself repeatedly on the back.

I recently turned 27 and every year I write down a few goals and ambitions for the up coming year. (This one is a bit special because it is shared with the world). I first want to talk about the year of being 26. It was a good one. I actually, for the first time ever, accomplished all of the things I wanted to this year and it makes me happy.

Goals for the year of being 26 (written a couple days after my 26th Birthday)

1. Teach abroad in Thailand
2. Have a boxing match
3. Record a song
4. Attempt stand up comedy

Obviously I didn’t achieve specifically the first one, but I am still working abroad in Abu Dhabi which is close enough, I went on holiday to Thailand though at the end of the year so that kind of makes up for it.

The fine print of ‘attempt stand up’ was actually to do 100 gigs. I actually only did 2 but I still think it counts as I attempted it.

I did the boxing on the 14th December and I recorded vocals for two dance songs with my friend in March/April.

Usually on birthdays I am a bit sad that I am getting old and think I could’ve done so much better with the previous years, but sat in my free apartment in Abu Dhabi, listening to Kid Rock and having just booked front row tickets to a Kanye West concert later this month, I think I am doing OK, for a 27 year old.

I hope that 27 is as fruitful as 26 but my goals are going to be a bit more challenging this year.

They are (In order of importance)

1. Stop smoking
I have wanted to stop for so long and it has seemed impossible, I don’t really even enjoy it, it makes me smell and I have to jump start my lungs in the morning with a coughing fit.
What will make this harder in Abu Dhabi is that fags are cheap (£2 a box) and you can smoke indoors. This will no doubt be my hardest goal I have ever tried and I anticipate at least a couple of attempts, but, by the end of the year, I hope to have stopped!

2. Get a six-pack
The six-pack is just part of it but it gives a real goal to aim for. This is not as important as giving up smoking, but it gives me something to aim for and maybe take my mind off nicotine.

3. Go skydiving

4. Learn to sing again (with a smoke free voice) and start a band – Play a couple of gigs.

Overall I think the list seems more achievable than last year (apart from the smoking) so I have my fingers crossed.