It was kindly pointed out by someone yesterday that I’d slipped a little lately when it comes to achieving my goals. My aim to get through March without eating any sugary crap (biscuits, chocolate, cakes etc) hasn’t quite been achieved in full. It hasn’t been a huge disaster, but I haven’t achieved that particular goal. So, in tied and tested fashion, I’ll dust myself off and try again (aiming to keep up the good work but achieve a full month of this in April instead).

I’ll write more over the next couple of weeks about how none of us are robots and how we can all look to offer support and encouragement to others ‘in the right way’ but, for now, I’ve been thinking a lot over the past 24hrs about just what it is I want to achieve. And my simple outlook is that I’d rather set stretching targets and just miss them than set easy ones, achieve them, and remain feeling flat and unfulfilled. Currently, some of those challenging targets for me are:

• I won’t be fat by fifty (i.e. I’m aiming to shed every ounce of excess fat by December 2023).
• Expand this blog and reach a certain number of regular readers. That will be helped by publishing an e-book of the first 100 YYCDI posts.
• Write a series of non-fiction e-books and see how that progresses.
• Start a new blog on songs from the 80s and aim to develop a significant audience there (the blog will be launched by this time next week).
• Write songs and record them. Share them with others.

There are more though I’m trying to keep it relatively succinct and focused. Basically, I have no desire to set easily achievable goals. What is the point? What would happen if I did that? I’d achieve them in no time at all then sit back, chill out, watch all the TV I’d like to catch up on but feel underwhelmed and unfulfilled? No thanks – not for me…

At times like these, I’m reminded of a quote from the most recent James Bond movie No Time To Die. A good friend saw the film a couple of weeks before me and, knowing my general outlook on life, was desperate to share this with me but held back until I also saw it. The quote is attributed to the author Jack London.

‘I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, ever atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist, I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.’

That’s good, isn’t it? That’s astonishingly good. I can see no other way to live life.

Finally, the quote below is one from an image folder I have on my phone and view on a daily basis. It fits well with the theme of this post.

As always, thanks for reading and take care.

Best wishes.

Mick