Your big achievements/changes in 2020?
Discussion
We moved to NZ towards the end of 2019 so I assumed there would be some big changes but looking back on 2020 some were unexpected.
Possibly biggest for me was I stopped drinking. Initially for health reasons but as time has gone on I’ve lost the urge to drink. Initially I thought I would have something over Christmas or New Year but in the end found I didn’t want to. Not that I was an alcoholic before but like most Brits booze played an overly important part of my life for many decades.
I was never a fan of WFH but having been forced to do so under the various lockdowns I found that I actually quite liked it to the extent that after the lockdown I struggled to go back into the office.
As part of getting healthier I’ve cut down on carbs. Not cut them out as usually have them for breakfast but for decades our evening meal would almost always figure flour, rice or potatoes in some form. I lost a fair bit of weight but have put some back on recently owing to having a bit of a sweet tooth. Something to address in the New Year.
I’ve accepted that I don’t like work. I’ve been in denial for a while but this year has made me see the light. Planning to retire in 2021. I’m a bit worried about getting bored but rather bored than stressed and unhappy.
A big but pointless achievement was memorising 2100 Japanese characters. My Japanese is still crap but one more step on the path to fluency. Not that knowing Japanese is likely to be a useful skill as only the Japanese speak it. I thought I would learn a bit before we went on holiday there a couple of years ago and haven’t managed to stop yet!
A sad one is that I’ve lost my interest in cars - not completely but enough to have no interest in buying something nice. On the flip side I bought the best motorbike I’ve ever had (Aprilia Tuono) and done 6000 miles since May (mostly on really good, twisty NZ roads).
Possibly biggest for me was I stopped drinking. Initially for health reasons but as time has gone on I’ve lost the urge to drink. Initially I thought I would have something over Christmas or New Year but in the end found I didn’t want to. Not that I was an alcoholic before but like most Brits booze played an overly important part of my life for many decades.
I was never a fan of WFH but having been forced to do so under the various lockdowns I found that I actually quite liked it to the extent that after the lockdown I struggled to go back into the office.
As part of getting healthier I’ve cut down on carbs. Not cut them out as usually have them for breakfast but for decades our evening meal would almost always figure flour, rice or potatoes in some form. I lost a fair bit of weight but have put some back on recently owing to having a bit of a sweet tooth. Something to address in the New Year.
I’ve accepted that I don’t like work. I’ve been in denial for a while but this year has made me see the light. Planning to retire in 2021. I’m a bit worried about getting bored but rather bored than stressed and unhappy.
A big but pointless achievement was memorising 2100 Japanese characters. My Japanese is still crap but one more step on the path to fluency. Not that knowing Japanese is likely to be a useful skill as only the Japanese speak it. I thought I would learn a bit before we went on holiday there a couple of years ago and haven’t managed to stop yet!
A sad one is that I’ve lost my interest in cars - not completely but enough to have no interest in buying something nice. On the flip side I bought the best motorbike I’ve ever had (Aprilia Tuono) and done 6000 miles since May (mostly on really good, twisty NZ roads).
Great idea for a thread.
2020 was the year that very few expected (let's be honest here), but despite everything, I'm viewing it as a productive and ultimately successful year.
OK, the bad stuff. Main one - wife works as key medical worker and caught "it". Scared the s
te out of us all. Thankfully recovered, albeit via blood clot on the lung, and long covid. But she's alive.
I had a parent undergo a heart valve replacement. Slap. BANG. in the middle of the covid "eye".
They survived and continue to grow from strength to strength.
So they're the bad things, but they're good as I haven't lost anyone dear to me to Covid.
I was terrified, truth be told, as I'm an at-risk, and somehow, I didn't get it at all. Yet.
I spent from March until recently at home, working in my studio. I've not really interacted with society. And TBH, it was great. Lockdown was ZERO issues for me - the actual experience was enjoyable. And I'm fully able to do it again, although I appreciate that many weren't so fortunate.
I wanted to lose weight and was well on the way - diet and weight-training (courtesy of my home gym) - I suspect I've put most back on this Christmas, so I"m back on it from tomorrow.
As for the rest of the year, well, I have a music career - both in the Higher Education area and the professional realm. And it's been a good year.
I did a charity single at the start of lockdown - I produced and recorded/mixed the whole thing, using kids from all over the country and getting them to record their vocals. Technically fun and very rewarding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDQ5JRFr8VY
I remixed a track for a friend not knowing the full story behind it (innocently just enjoying the song for what it is)...... it was very successful. The track was in aid of paying medical expenses. Sadly, the individual lost his battle, but I'm still proud of it.
https://leaetherstrip.bandcamp.com/album/a-heart-s...
My own career grew this year - was meant to be playing Glastonbury, but put the energies into another album, with the results being pushed into 2021
But it was great - lots of time to enjoy what was going on. And it's given me time to really think about what I'm doing next year. I'm ready. Ready to progress.
I'm looking forward to it immensely.
(ps i've put links in for no other reason than I thought people might be interested - not a sales pitch - couldn't give a f00k about that, so PH police, feel free to calm down
)
Happy New Year though - 2021will be what YOU make of it
And I'm going to make mine a good one.
Dano
2020 was the year that very few expected (let's be honest here), but despite everything, I'm viewing it as a productive and ultimately successful year.
OK, the bad stuff. Main one - wife works as key medical worker and caught "it". Scared the s
te out of us all. Thankfully recovered, albeit via blood clot on the lung, and long covid. But she's alive.I had a parent undergo a heart valve replacement. Slap. BANG. in the middle of the covid "eye".
They survived and continue to grow from strength to strength.
So they're the bad things, but they're good as I haven't lost anyone dear to me to Covid.
I was terrified, truth be told, as I'm an at-risk, and somehow, I didn't get it at all. Yet.
I spent from March until recently at home, working in my studio. I've not really interacted with society. And TBH, it was great. Lockdown was ZERO issues for me - the actual experience was enjoyable. And I'm fully able to do it again, although I appreciate that many weren't so fortunate.
I wanted to lose weight and was well on the way - diet and weight-training (courtesy of my home gym) - I suspect I've put most back on this Christmas, so I"m back on it from tomorrow.
As for the rest of the year, well, I have a music career - both in the Higher Education area and the professional realm. And it's been a good year.
I did a charity single at the start of lockdown - I produced and recorded/mixed the whole thing, using kids from all over the country and getting them to record their vocals. Technically fun and very rewarding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDQ5JRFr8VY
I remixed a track for a friend not knowing the full story behind it (innocently just enjoying the song for what it is)...... it was very successful. The track was in aid of paying medical expenses. Sadly, the individual lost his battle, but I'm still proud of it.
https://leaetherstrip.bandcamp.com/album/a-heart-s...
My own career grew this year - was meant to be playing Glastonbury, but put the energies into another album, with the results being pushed into 2021
But it was great - lots of time to enjoy what was going on. And it's given me time to really think about what I'm doing next year. I'm ready. Ready to progress.
I'm looking forward to it immensely.
(ps i've put links in for no other reason than I thought people might be interested - not a sales pitch - couldn't give a f00k about that, so PH police, feel free to calm down
)Happy New Year though - 2021will be what YOU make of it
And I'm going to make mine a good one.
Dano
Well we had our bathroom and my home office redone which I've been waiting on for ages, so that's nice.
I know work full time from home which is also nice as saves me £300 a month commuting and more importantly far more time at home with the family.
Also, we're expecting a little boy in March so will be a nice result of a very odd and frustrating year.
Thankfully although I've known people who have had Covid, all have recovered without issue.
Here's to a good 2021 to all you PHers.
I know work full time from home which is also nice as saves me £300 a month commuting and more importantly far more time at home with the family.
Also, we're expecting a little boy in March so will be a nice result of a very odd and frustrating year.
Thankfully although I've known people who have had Covid, all have recovered without issue.
Here's to a good 2021 to all you PHers.
My big achievement was deciding that time is more important than money, so at just over 50 I stopped work just before Christmas and I am not going back.
Now spending time with the wife and with no work pressures we are loving it and both looking forward to the world opening up again as we go through 2021.
Happy new year all.
Now spending time with the wife and with no work pressures we are loving it and both looking forward to the world opening up again as we go through 2021.
Happy new year all.
Had a funny feeling being asked to return our vans to the depot when put on Furlough that there was more going on that we weren't being told. Furlough quickly turned into business troubles that resulted in the distribution side of the company being canned. Furlough/ gardening leave resulted in being payed to do naff all for 6 months.
Gained my Class C hgv licence at the first opportunity and walked into a new job 1 week before G.L. ended.
Rediscovered my love of mountain biking and managed to set some KOMs, mainly DH, in the local area at the age of 38 on an 'old' 26" wheeled Enduro bike.
Got in the best shape of my life having so much time on my hands, doing callisthenics and weights.
Still managed to drink my own body weight in booze many times over, but my new job is very physically demanding, so I can eat and drink whatever I like and not put on weight, which is fantastic as I am staring down the barrel of 40, and love to eat unhealthy crap
House went on the market having split with the GF of 17 years the previous summer.
Bought the first really sensible car, diesel Mondeo, I have ever owned thanks to now needing to commute.
Looking forward to selling up, buying my own place, and using some of the equity to buy something considerably more fun to drive in 2021.
Gained my Class C hgv licence at the first opportunity and walked into a new job 1 week before G.L. ended.
Rediscovered my love of mountain biking and managed to set some KOMs, mainly DH, in the local area at the age of 38 on an 'old' 26" wheeled Enduro bike.
Got in the best shape of my life having so much time on my hands, doing callisthenics and weights.
Still managed to drink my own body weight in booze many times over, but my new job is very physically demanding, so I can eat and drink whatever I like and not put on weight, which is fantastic as I am staring down the barrel of 40, and love to eat unhealthy crap
House went on the market having split with the GF of 17 years the previous summer.
Bought the first really sensible car, diesel Mondeo, I have ever owned thanks to now needing to commute.
Looking forward to selling up, buying my own place, and using some of the equity to buy something considerably more fun to drive in 2021.
Good thread!
Achievements:
- Made our new business turn a small profit in 2020
- Helped my mother-in-law keep her business afloat
- Managed to lose some of the weight I put on when I moved to the USA
Fails
- Gout! I think it's a combination of reaching my late 40s and the change of diet over here
- I can't see a way to rescue my father-in-law's business. He'd rather go bankrupt in 2021 than accept the need for change.
Achievements:
- Made our new business turn a small profit in 2020
- Helped my mother-in-law keep her business afloat
- Managed to lose some of the weight I put on when I moved to the USA
Fails
- Gout! I think it's a combination of reaching my late 40s and the change of diet over here
- I can't see a way to rescue my father-in-law's business. He'd rather go bankrupt in 2021 than accept the need for change.
Main one for me - weight loss. This time last year I was almost 16st, today I'm just under 12st even with the Christmas Poundage. I literally can't remember the last time I was under 12st, at least 20 years.
Work - Survived a round of redundancies, and moved to a new role that's a much closer fit to my experience. Looking forward to getting my teeth into that in the new year.
Downside - Right now, I was meant to be into week 4 of a 5 week trip to Distant Places, which is obviously not happening just now.
Work - Survived a round of redundancies, and moved to a new role that's a much closer fit to my experience. Looking forward to getting my teeth into that in the new year.
Downside - Right now, I was meant to be into week 4 of a 5 week trip to Distant Places, which is obviously not happening just now.
Well, some changes but only a few achievements.
I moved South from Cumbria to Marple Bridge, to live at the house
of my best mate of 45 years. I was using my house for holiday rentals. Covid
killed that stone dead. Also, a holidaymaker was clearly nagged at so hard by his
squeeze that he decided to knife my newish Motability Ford Kuga across the tailgate. Punt.
I changed to long-term domestic rental and have a great pair of tenants in 'til June.
The bloke has Covid badly but they're generally very happy with my place.
Decided to sell off my pro photo gear and had a good offer from a dealer/shop in Sheffield.
So, I gues I'm retired now but I have invested in a bridge camera (Panasonic Lumix).
After a long, long wait, I finally had my implanted neuromodulator (Internal TENS machine)
replaced with a brand new, state of the art unit. I had this done (after Covid tests) at a
private hospital in Preston, under local anaesthetic. My duff spine remains inoperable
but the machine helps a lot. So thanks, NHS.
I'm running a 14y.o. Opel Astra cabrio and the doing up project is ongoing...soon to fit a
set of ex-Megane Sport discs and 4-pot Brembo calipers up front. I've a leather interior to
fit after those.
I lost my adoptive moggy a year last July so planning to adopt another. I already have
his/her name: Genghis Khat.
Onward and upward then so it's everything crossed for 2021.
I moved South from Cumbria to Marple Bridge, to live at the house
of my best mate of 45 years. I was using my house for holiday rentals. Covid
killed that stone dead. Also, a holidaymaker was clearly nagged at so hard by his
squeeze that he decided to knife my newish Motability Ford Kuga across the tailgate. Punt.
I changed to long-term domestic rental and have a great pair of tenants in 'til June.
The bloke has Covid badly but they're generally very happy with my place.
Decided to sell off my pro photo gear and had a good offer from a dealer/shop in Sheffield.
So, I gues I'm retired now but I have invested in a bridge camera (Panasonic Lumix).
After a long, long wait, I finally had my implanted neuromodulator (Internal TENS machine)
replaced with a brand new, state of the art unit. I had this done (after Covid tests) at a
private hospital in Preston, under local anaesthetic. My duff spine remains inoperable
but the machine helps a lot. So thanks, NHS.
I'm running a 14y.o. Opel Astra cabrio and the doing up project is ongoing...soon to fit a
set of ex-Megane Sport discs and 4-pot Brembo calipers up front. I've a leather interior to
fit after those.
I lost my adoptive moggy a year last July so planning to adopt another. I already have
his/her name: Genghis Khat.
Onward and upward then so it's everything crossed for 2021.
66000 trees planted over 130 acres, Exposed site, abysmal weather Jan-March 2020 (not just me obvs, part of a team)
https://www.heartofenglandforest.com/newnham/
https://www.heartofenglandforest.com/newnham/
My 2019/20 was exciting. Moved from SE London to Portugal having already retired for several years (now 58). I'd owned a place over here for about ten years (long term rented) and for a while had on my mind to make the move. Have a girl here too, so why not!
Unfortunately my elderly and infirm mother passed away in June and I couldn't attend her funeral, watched online. Hmmm. So with the aid of my uk based sister we managed to get all the paperwork done and currently have mums apartment up for sale. Strange times.
I joined a gym and TWO tennis clubs and manage to play a couple,of times a week, hopefully more in 2021 as I get to know people, but have made a few friends.
Bought a new car last December 2019 a few weeks after I arrived. Ibiza FR sport. All the toys and lots grip. So quite fun. Maybe if I heard about the Yaris GR.. but they are EUR 42k over here!
2021? Yeah, usual, lose some (lockdown) lard. Play more tennis and, as a guitarist with the the gear getting dusty, find some people who play music and elbow my in.
Then head to another beach. This ones Peniche in November (having a beer, enjoying the view)
Unfortunately my elderly and infirm mother passed away in June and I couldn't attend her funeral, watched online. Hmmm. So with the aid of my uk based sister we managed to get all the paperwork done and currently have mums apartment up for sale. Strange times.
I joined a gym and TWO tennis clubs and manage to play a couple,of times a week, hopefully more in 2021 as I get to know people, but have made a few friends.
Bought a new car last December 2019 a few weeks after I arrived. Ibiza FR sport. All the toys and lots grip. So quite fun. Maybe if I heard about the Yaris GR.. but they are EUR 42k over here!
2021? Yeah, usual, lose some (lockdown) lard. Play more tennis and, as a guitarist with the the gear getting dusty, find some people who play music and elbow my in.
Then head to another beach. This ones Peniche in November (having a beer, enjoying the view)
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