Every year I make New Year’s resolutions. However, I’ve never actually documented them in blog form until last year, so I thought it might be quite interesting (for me) to review them and see if I stuck to them.
- Stop buying dresses
I’m not even going to pretend I didn’t buy any dresses in 2013. I did. But I also threw some away and I think I still have about 50. That’s growth, that is. - Use foot spa less than three times a week
I now live in Sheffield and my foot spa is in Keighley, so I did this one through the law of averages. YES! - Sleep for eight hours a night
HAHAHAHA. Good one, 2012 Collette! - Nap less
As we all found out in 2013, I wasn’t napping all the time because I was lazy – it was actually because I was having a really slow-burn flare up. I haven’t napped on a daily basis since April last year, so I think this is good going. It’s so nice to be healthy and busy! - Sort life out
I’m now doing a degree in something I actually want to do for the rest of my life. I feel pretty sorted.
I also made some arthritis resolutions:
- Wear insoles every day to work and in all shoes that can fit them in
Well, I did for the first three months of the year when I worked at Next. And then sometimes for the other nine months. Well done me. - Take ibuprofen every night before going to sleep in cold weather
I don’t know why this was a resolution, just a bit of common sense really. I don’t need to do this this year because I’m not in the middle of a secret flare up… I think. - Stop sleeping on left side and ruining elbow
Yeah, turns out this was my ulnar nerve being compressed and causing cubital tunnel syndrome. Not really because I kept sleeping on my left side. I’m not a doctor. - Get left elbow sorted
And boy did I!
Me and my new flatmate
So, 2013 was a bit of a mixed bag. I started the year pretty badly: having a bad flare up, finding out I needed surgery on my left elbow, accidentally being given an overdose of prednisolone by my GP.
Around April I was really not a very happy person and could not wait for 2013 to get its act together – but if there’s one good thing about a life-changing mass of arthritic destruction, it’s the fact that it sure was motivational.
So in the remaining nine months of the year I quit Next to work full time in telesales, applied to university, became an actual professional writer, had my surgery, had a great summer, turned 23, moved to Sheffield, had a great first three months there, found someone who wants to take me on dates and that, started my course, and here I am.
2013 was far too traumatic: the highs seemed too high following the really low lows – most of which haven’t been detailed on this blog. I’d just like this year to be good, or average. I just want a completely good year.
Happy new year!
I hate making resolutions, I really do, but the other day I was doing some reading that I really should have done last term and I came across this pearl of wisdom from H.G. Wells, which felt a relevant thing to aim for:
“I write as straight as I can, just as I walk as straight as I can, because that is the best way to get there.”
Arthritis, actually 