Enough is Enough

It is time to stop with the excuses. You know, I think I might even have run out of valid ones.

Lately I have been letting things slide in all portions of my life, including here on Bright Meadow, to the point the only thing I was getting better at was making up excuses why I wasn’t engaging with things. No more. There are valid reasons for some, though not all, of this slippage back into what I term “hermit mode” and I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly supportive friends and family. In particular thanks Neko for holding my hand through some unpleasant scans, acting as the voice of reason, and then taking me shopping for a giant beanbag. This last was as completely random as it sounds, but still a remarkably effective post-hospital stress/anxiety buster!

But now it all has to stop. It is time to stop talking about all the things I want to do with my life and actually start doing them before I turn around and see half my life gone down the tubes. I didn’t do resolutions this new year, so perhaps it’s time for some “Spring-time Resolutions”?

First and foremost I’m taking back Bright Meadow. There has been a downward trend over the past six months and, whilst people are still saying nice things, I know my content could be better. More regular if nothing else! So from here on I am going to instigate the one thing I never thought I would have to do: a posting schedule. It turns out that I work better to deadlines, so deadlines I shall have to give myself. If that little bit of pressure, even self imposed, is what I need, then so be it. We’re not talking anything drastic here, just a Roast every Sunday and a post every Wednesday. I expect I will fill in around that framework, but that will be the minimum you can expect. The world won’t stop spinning if I fail in this goal, but I do give you permission to yell at me! Also, I’ve got one get-out-of-jail-free card a month. Sometimes life genuinely does get in the way.

Related to this drive to reinvigorate the blog, I hereby pledge to once again reengage with the assorted communities I have been neglecting shamefully lately, be that email, Twitter, 9rules, Chawlk, or just my friends down the pub. No more turning down invites because I just can’t be bothered or feel a little antisocial. Experience has taught that getting out of the house is a good thing and that I invariably have fun once I am out! I really do like playing with new people and I am not going to find them curled up on the sofa watching endless episodes of SG1.

Thirdly, but perhaps most importantly, I know I need to talk control of the health aspects of my life. Some bits are always going to be broken and I need to stop waiting for a magic pill to make it all better. A lifestyle change is what I need to have, so a lifestyle change it will be. Neko is doing it and doing it with her usual grace and flair so I know it can be done. It won’t be easy but I’m on the right track already with the gym three times a week and yoga. Now I just need to fold in some changes to my nutrition and all will be hunky dory. I just wish eating healthily wasn’t so much effort. I like cooking but I just find it a faff to do it every evening (mainly because of the washing up I will admit - perhaps I can persuade Moose to let me plug the dishwasher back in?…) but enough of the excuses. When your choices are eating better or diabeties, heart disease and cancer: well, healthy eating suddenly becomes a bit more appealing.

Lastly I really need to get my finger out with the whole “move to London, get a job in publishing” thing. I have made a start and actually applied for one job (*eek*) but I need to be doing a lot more than that. Applying for other jobs would be a start because all my eggs aren’t going to fit in that one basket! Then there is the finding somewhere to live and…

One step at a time. Job applications and interviews are two big hurdles that have to be overcome first!

So there we have it. The four step plan to the new, shiny, excuse-free and improved Cas^**. Hope you like her, because I think she’s going to be even more fun than the current version!

^** Very much a work in progress though!