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I've pretty much decided to forego my usual New Year challenge list. Normally this list of races, challenges or goals keeps me motivated to get out there and keep riding/running/swimming and in recent years and been focused on doing challenges with mates (like swimrun races or long runs).
But... After a cosmically rubbish 2020 I can't face another 12 months of cancellations and can see any organised event filling up super fast anyway as pent up demand flows through the system.
So I plan on making a list of 12 new things I'll learn in 2021. This is my start, as much as a public declaration of intent as anything else. If it works I'll post updates and a summary this time next year. It it fails then it'll drift off into obscurity.
Not come up with all 12 yet but, in no particular order her are some ideas. Some I'm pretty confident I can do, others (like piano, handstand and splits) I have no idea.
Play the piano (doesn't have to be awesome, just inoffensively play one piece).
Do an unsupported handstand for 60 seconds (right now 1 milisecond is unachievable)
Do a wheelie for 100m (this one is always on my list).
Juggle 5 balls (I can do 3).
Squat, deadlift and bench 1.5 X bodyweight (so 110kg for me).
Do the splits (and walk away!).
Bivi out once a month.
Meditate 10 min a day for 6 days out of 7.
Make a Raspberry Pi do something useful.
Run a sub 2:50 marathon (I've done a 2:52 before, but that was many years and many kgs ago).
That's 10 possibles. Some will need months of daily work, some I reckon I could crack with a couple of weeks of practice.
What would yours be? What would you scratch or add to my list?
Importantly, does anyone want to join me? Doesn't have to be 12 and your ideas don't have to be remotely like mine. I know that being part of a group makes massive difference to my motivation and enjoyment so thought I'd share my plan...
1.5x body weight bench will take some doing.
I got to around 1.4 in my early 20s.
I’d like to really nail my conversational German, los gehts.
Make a Raspberry Pi do something useful
I have one at home that hosts a few websites, controls some electric blinds, hosts my email server/domain, interfaces to our heating, controls the garden sprinklers and outside lights, monitors our alarm and texts us if it goes off, activates the garage door remotely.
It’s also my garage PC for YouTube bike stuff and a media server.
God help me if I ever have to start from scratch.
Not Hurt
@colp thanks - need to set a baseline for bench, not done it properly for ages. Will report back. You sounds like at RP pro... I like the idea of a garage PC, will research.
@WCA hah - me too! Having watched some YouTube handstand videos I think I'm going to need to go slowly.
Seriously - not to hurt. At the moment the water from the shower hurts my feet, fresh cotton socks hurt, lying on the bed hurts. After 40 of my 50 years alive I am really sick of hurting.
Oh, sorry @WCA. I get that. What's your plan to give that the best chance of hapoening?
3:15 marathon, 1:30 half, sub-19 5k.
Stay on one job all year, I did 3 this year and it was crap.
Read less media. I get drawn in and it always make me feel crap, next year I shall avoid it more.
But read more book, I like reading, love books, rarely read them.
Go to the pub. Any pub, at some point.
Cool better food. I’m the main cook in my house and have been guilty of cooking the same stuff each week, need to be better.
I’m working on getting out of the shadow of an ineffective manager without cutting of my nose to spite my face.
And no more self help books, it’s got to the point that it’s like watching Eastenders hoping for a revolutionary change to the plot only to realise it happened 4 times already but I forgot about it.
I became a 51 year old apprentice last month. 2021 will be spent teaching this old dog some new tricks.
Or being bounced out on the competency route. Could go either way.....
@kryton I swore off self-help books a few years ago and would recommend it. Internet through my phone on the other hand, if I could kick that habit I'd have enough spare time to learn Japanese calligraphy!
I’m setting the bar low. I’m going to learn how to solder neatly.
Learning to swim front crawl is one of my main targets for 2021.
2021 goals:
Be better downhill
Wheelie properly
Finally gybe my strapless kiteboard
Concentrate on my off-the-lip whilst surfing
DJ in a nightclub (C-19 allowing)
Produce at least 1 releasable EDM track
Extend my house.
Not much then!
Nice @mikertroid 👍 I might add surf more to my list. I'm a terrible surfer with a fear of the sea but would like to conquer that and improve.
Life's about microaggressions and small victories, which should be celebrated unabashed.
what field are you starting out in?
Ha, apprentice tax inspector......if there's only two certainties in life, I figure it's best to have a reasonably secure job for the next 16 years.
Not make an arse of my modules and get to the end of my degree.
Start seriously looking at future jobs.
Do some of the long distance rides I had planned for this year (Covid dependant).
Relearn soldering.
Conversational German would be good here too (Entschuldegung, du hast deine grenate vergessen!)
I'd like to start back on learning piano. Finish my open uni course and not mess it up. Finally learn javascript. Cycle the King Alfred's way (Covid depending). Try recording some music rather than just messing around.
Español to, hopefully, conversational level to make the still-to-be-rescheduled Camino trip a bit easier/more enjoyable...
And not let the bastards grind me down... 🤪😂
I'm going to get certified as a scrum master (IT project manager) and land a cushy 6 month contract.
Move out of my flat/the city and rent it out for muchos profit
This will allow me to:
Finish my off grid campervan
Learn to surf
Spend 3 months traveling around Europe in my van surfing
That's the big 2021 plan.
Other goals:
Get my brewery registered with HMRC, make beer, sell beer.
Learn to solder properly (for another little business idea I have)
Play a gig again!
Get fitter(er). I've had a huge improvement this year and want to continue that.
Reach my target weight while still working out.
Be better downhill.
Wheelie properly
Manual properly
Bunnyhop properly
Bench BW, Squat 1.5 x BW, Deadlift 2 x BW, not a 1 rep max, but as repeatable sets.
Learn more Polish.
A new job would be awesome.
Those BW multipliers are doable. I've got to those levels (sets of 10, not 1 rep maxes) this year, and that's with gyms closed a lot. Had been lifting 6 months previously though.
Top tip - lose as much weight as you can when gyms are shut. Makes the multiplier easier!