A happy new-ish new year

It's been a year since my last update which nicely ties in with the theme of this post. New year holds so much promise for a clean slate,  chance to draw a line in the sand - whether that's positively or because there have been mountains to climb and hearts to mend.

On this occasion New Year was a mix of happy and sad in equal measure. When the bubbles were long gone and the dance floor emptied the only thing that mattered was knowing that we were in this together; my funny little dysfunctional group of favourites and I. 

So in the spirit of my New-ish year attitude here is a little list of things that are not resolutions that come with a punishment if I don't stick to them but ideas and challenges to keep this year moving in a positive direction.

1. Learn to plan a little violin.

I bought a violin from eBay and the lady who sold it to me gave me a price of "learn a tune or two and come back and play it for me". The sweetest gesture but the pressure is now on to turn the tyre screech sound into something recognisable!!

2. Join a French class.

I used to speak French when I was very small. Actually quite well, but then boys, gigs and MSN messenger came along and I didn't have anyone to speak it to which has disappointed me for years. This new-ish year promise is to go back to school and re-learn what I knew when I was 6.

3. Get back on the horse.

At 17 I had a really nasty horse riding accident involving some bones, some bruising and very sore head. My sneaky husband has challenged me to literally get back on a horse this year and I hate losing a bet so watch this space.

4. 'Stop' drinking caffeine. 

The clue is in the name here. I've given up my 6-8 cups a day addiction and it's only February and it's been awful. I am half asleep on my drive to work and ready for bed at about 8pm but at least the blinding migraines have stopped at last.

Since giving up this delicious addiction I've read a huge amount about caffeine affecting your sleep, skin, heart and temper and if this is even slightly to be believed then even 'stopping' a few of my daily cups of instant will be a step in the right direction.

5. Stop punishing myself.

(It's impossible to feel sad in sequin ears)

I am without doubt my biggest critic. Whether it's comparing myself to someone else, scolding myself for forgetting to do something or for unintentionally doing something wrong, I will hang onto that feeling until the next thing comes up. It has to stop because there are enough people who can judge you harshly (the basic premise of Facebook) so I can probably afford to be a little kinder to myself at least to restore some balance.

I don't like the idea of this list being held over me like solemn rules or laws - I'm sticking to number 4 as best I can but should I slip up I will use number 5 as a mantra and just be glad I got to work at all!

I wish you the happiest of New-ish years and if you're feeling the pressure of impossible resolutions then refer to number 5 immediately.