For UK Bookcrossers:
Each journaller will record 4 aims for 2004 in agreed categories. After everyone has decided on their aims, the book will go back around again so we can record the 'if, when & consequences' of our achievements. The aims:

1. Do something to take you outside of your Comfort Zone
2. Do something very comforting indeed (i.e. totally self-indulgent)
3. Do something completely silly, just for fun
4. Do Something that will benefit others

Participants are:
 Lady-Mondegreen
 Tigger79
 olliebear
 tanis
 kleptokitty
 Chelseagirl
 loopy1
 wiblick - arrived 15th April
 Semioticghost
 Shelbycat
 Lady-Mondegreen: & round again to record achievements

OK - to start the ball rolling. My four aims are:
1. Run, jog, walk or drag myself around the 2004 Race for Life
2. A weekend break in a nice hotel with a spa
3. Host a murder, mystery party
4. Join a tall ship sailing crew as an able-bodied buddy

Over to you Tigger79! I will post to you on Wednesday 31st December 2003.

Released on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 at In the hands of Royal Mail! in Postal release, England United Kingdom.

I think Lady Mondegreen did a great job on this journal, lots of motivating quotes and it looks really good.

My four aims are:
1. To write a screenplay
2. To get regular massages
3. To make a short film
4. To become a blood donor.

Now on to Olliebear

Winging its way to Olliebear right now via Royal Mail.

Got this today! Will add my entries as soon as I have figured them out...!

My entries:

Outside of my Comfort Zone: get some of my artwork on display in a gallery.

Comforting: Look after my hair, have regular haircuts and use nice shampoo.

Something silly: Collect lots of crafty stuff and make lots of homemade things just for the sake of it!

Something for others: Make and donate knitted teddy bears for Premature babies in Special Care

I can't wait to get started on these.

Arrived this morning & I'm feeling really inspired by everyone else's entries. I'm having a complete brain breakdown today though, & can't for the life of me think what the four aims I spent so long deciding on were!! Perhaps if I sleep on it I'll make more sense in the morning.

24.2.04

It took more than one sleep to make sense of all the ideas I had flying around. But I finally completed this last night & have made a date to pass the journal onto Chelseagirl on Thursday.

My resolutions are:

• Do something outside of your comfort zone - sign up for a college course
  
  
• Do something self indulgent - I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying this is comforting (it's certainly not!), but it is definately self indulgent. I'm going to quit my job & go off to Portugal travelling for a few months with my son.
  
  
• Do something silly - I'm going to learn how to make pretty soaps.
  
  
• Do something for others - I'm going to volunteer to teach at adult literacy classes. In case I can't manage the course for this due to my traveling, I've got a back up plan of becoming a blood donor.

Kleptokitty dropped this round this evening, and would you believe it, we're already almost two months into the year and I haven't thought of my resolutions! I'm away this weekend so will do some thinking and hopefully commit something to paper next week.

BTW, the book is wonderful, thanks for setting this up, Lady-Mondegreen!

After much thought, and with the intervening even of my boyfriend and I getting engaged and the frightening realisation that I will be getting married in about eighteen months time (!), here are my resolutions:

1. Something out of my comfort zone - Diet! I want to lose enough weight to be able to fit into a size
14 wedding dress by the end of the year.

2. Something indulgent - For every week I lose weight, I'll reward myself with a sauna.

3. Something silly - I'm going to try and discover some creative ability so I can make my own paper flowers, decorations etc for my wedding.

4. Something to benefit others - I'm going to give up some of my free time to volunteer for a charity, and carry on donating blood as often as I can.

There. Commited to paper (and screen) - which means I really do have to start the diet - well, on Monday, anyway!

Good luck everyone, looking forward to tracking our progress.

Sending this off to loopy1 today.

Oh dear, I guess it's my turn!
Well first I need to read the book, which looks wonderful, full of inspiring quotes and contributions.
Then I need to decide on my resolutions.
I think I know what I'm going to put, but before committing myself I'll check out everyone else's entries and see if I get any inspiration :-)

Well I finally managed to get my contribution written up, so the book will be heading to wiblick in the next few minutes.
So what did I decide:

Well, I decided to:

1. Make a real effort to lose weight and get fit over the next few months.
2. Set time aside every week in order to do something creative.
3. Learn a new language just for the fun of it.
4. Volunteer to help children develop their reading skills at my local school.
Now I just have to get going so I have something to write when the book makes it back here!

just got it yesterday, will take me 10 days to fill it in, I'll update here when I'm done

I hate to think how long I had the journal....

My resolutions are thus:

1. Writing, entering an essay competition (I don't think fiction is my thing) and doing NaNoWriMo - the challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel or narrative in one month, I think I'll do my autobiography, the idea is just to write it doesn't actually have to be readable. http://www.nanowrimo.org/index.php I may also take up a writing course as part of this resolution


2. Indulgence.... well everything that other people would find indulgent makes me self-conscious, exposing myself for a massage, the very thought! So I have decided to simply indulge all my little interests: nature, walking, baking, gardening, staring at the stars, really make time for them.

3. Just for Fun - singing lessons, although this also scares me to death! I'll probably combine this with my re-enactment as I can see myself being brave enough to sing around the campfire or as part of a 1940's Home Front type thing, which is the next era I want to get into.


4. This is the one I had a problem with, I'm so snowed under with stuff in my own life that I don't have any energy for other people, so I decided to keep this one close to home and make more of an effort in the care of my niece and helping my parents who are growing too old to be taking care of a toddler without me acting the Princess and not cleaning the bathroom.

I'm cheating further by calling my start date May 7th 2004.

Sorry everyone, I forgot to do my journal entry when the book came. I was actually the third person on the list.

1. To take me out of my comfort zone I am going to lose weight, I'm going to stop comfort eating and go to the gym more regularly. Starting weight is 76kg

2. For my self-indulgant thing I am going to make some handbags for my own entertainment and possibly to sell if I get the courage to actually show them to anyone.

3. For fun I am going to have a go at a spot of writing, I think I will need to join an evening class first though.

4. To benefit others I am going to knit for the local premature baby unit.

I thought it would be good if we provided an update on how we are progressing as we are now 1/3 of the way through the year.

1. Do something to take you outside of your Comfort Zone - I have today booked to take part in the Cancer Research Campaign Race for Life in July. I probably won't run but will endeavour to do a very brisk walk/jog.

2. Do something very comforting indeed (i.e. totally self-indulgent) - I haven't booked my weekend 'spa' style hotel break yet and will probably leave this until the end of the year as a treat after I have done the other things.

3. Do something completely silly, just for fun - I hosted a murder mystery party in February. It was Murder on the Nile and I played Betty Runn, side kick of Gunnar Grabbit of Grabbit and Runn enterprises. I served an authentic-ish Egyptian meal and we all dressed up in appropriate costume for a night of mayhem in a tent on the banks of the nile in the 1930s! It was a wonderful evening of laughter. I found out yesterday that one of the couples we invited have been inspired to host one of these parties and so I will be going to another one in July.

4. Do Something that will benefit others - I am going on a Tall Ship Sailing Trip on The Lord Nelson organised by the jubilee sailing trust at the end of this month. I will be an able-bodied buddy as part of a mixed crew of disabled and able-bodied people. I have never sailed before so I hope I am not sea sick!!

I received this weekend and have just read it all - wonder whether my aims will live up to any of this!

Okay, following on from lady-mondegreen, here's my rather pathetic third-of-the-year update!

1. Something out of my comfort zone - Diet!

Hmm, not really got to grips with this yet ... I've kept finding excuses and putting it off and am now the size of a small whale and panicking because I really wanted to lose weight before we went to the Glastonbury Festival and that is only six weeks away! I've finally managed to lose about four pounds over the last couple of weeks and am starting a new exercise regime tomorrow (fingers crossed) so watch this space :0)

2. Something indulgent - For every week I lose weight, I'll reward myself with a sauna.

Ahem, well as I haven't really dieted yet I haven't done this - but am hoping to combine a swim with a sauna from this week.

3. Something silly - I'm going to try and discover some creative ability ...

I've bought various bits and pieces to make favours for our weddng, haven't started yet but I'm definitely going to achieve this resolution!

4. Something to benefit others - I'm going to give up some of my free time to volunteer for a charity, and carry on donating blood as often as I can.

This one is going well ... I started working one day a week in a local charity shop, it's great fun and I really feel I am contributing something to society. I've also given blood once this year and aim to go to two more sessions before December ... and I'm planning on making a half hour (promotional) radio documentary on the Blood Transfusion Service for my dissertation.

Ah well, getting there I guess! Good luck everyone :0)

OK, as the trend seems to be for an update, here goes ...

• Do something outside of your comfort zone - sign up for a college course
  
  I signed up for an online course, which wasn't entirely what I had in mind when I originally wrote this resolution down. However, with going away, it seemed the easiest way of fulfilling it. I've also attended the course for volunteering at adult literacy classes but haven't been able to do the practical part (sore point, see below!) and attended an NCMA ICP course.
  
  
• Do something self indulgent - I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying this is comforting (it's certainly not!), but it is definately self indulgent. I'm going to quit my job & go off to Portugal travelling for a few months with my son.
  
  The ferry is booked for this coming Sunday. Portugal here we come!!
  
  
• Do something silly - I'm going to learn how to make pretty soaps.
  
  This one is going to have to wait till I get home, but I have found a lady willing to teach me.
  
  
• Do something for others - I'm going to volunteer to teach at adult literacy classes. In case I can't manage the course for this due to my traveling, I've got a back up plan of becoming a blood donor.
  
  Bit of a sore point, this one. I attended the course that they make you attend to be an adult literacy volunteer, but to complete the qualification you have to attend a certain amount of classes. None of the classes they had 'available' were evenings (I was working full time during the day) and I have never heard from them again. Here I am desperate to volunteer, and they obviously don't want me :~( Ah well, I'll teach my son to read instead!!
  
  So, falling back on plan number two, I gave blood for the very first time this afternoon. Although that was a bit dicey too as I'm just on the very minumum weight that you have to be to be accepted. Good job I'd just had lunch at my Mum's otherwise I might not have been able to!! No-one warned me how much squash they make you drink (maybe this was because of my weight?), I'm positivly sloshing now. They made me have four glasses of squash and a packet of biscuits before I even started, then six glasses and two packets of biccies when I was done!
  
  Now, if you'll excuse me, I must pop to the loo again ....

I've just got this through the post and i've already put my "outside my comfort zone" & "something for others" goals in. I'm finding it quite hard to think of something silly & something indulgent.

Anyway here's what i have so far:

"outside comfort zone" - conquering my panic attacks
"something for others" - increase my activity with CPL

I completely forgot about this book (it looks a lot like my journal collection books, and has been hidding amonst them for the last few weeks). I'm going to write in my other aims and send it off asap.
Once again i'm really sorry :(

I never entered my aims when I had the book, so I'm herewith bravely listing them for your perusal.

Outside of my Comfort Zone: Go and see a specialist to my my apnea/snoring sorted out

I went to see my GP and they referred me onwards to a specialist, who poked all kinds of things up my nose and down my throat [with a local anaestetic, fortunately!]. Next thing will be a sleep study, where they'll plaster me with electrodes and give mea comfy bed for the night. Watch this space.

Indulging: I orgiginally said I'd book myself some sessions with a personal trainer - I've now looked into prices and it's £20 for half an hour, so my feeling-like-a-filmstar in the gymn might have to wait until I've got a bit more money. That said, there is something totally indulgent that I love, and it's spending an hour in a floatation tank. I might do that instead, as it's nearly half the price for an hour!

Something silly: I said I'd benchpress at least 20kg more by the end of this year, as part of working up to pressing my own bodyweight. It's a completely silly target, and does not contribute to anything serious, so I decided it would count as 'silly'.

Something for others: I said I'd plant a tree to make up for the reams of paper I used up as a PhD student. Yesterday, I finally sent off the cheque to my old uni, asking them to plant a yew or a linden tree in the park where the university is based.

what a surpise, here I am dreadfully late again. I'm not like this in real life, honest!

1. To take me out of my comfort zone I am going to lose weight, I'm going to stop comfort eating and go to the gym more regularly. Starting weight is 76kg

Not doing too badly on this one, I am down to 63kg at the moment, but I'm having a rest from the diet for a while because I fancy a spot of comfort eating. Still, thats about 2 stones I've lost.

2. For my self-indulgant thing I am going to make some handbags for my own entertainment and possibly to sell if I get the courage to actually show them to anyone.

Er, not actually made any attempt to do this. I'm a slacker.

3. For fun I am going to have a go at a spot of writing, I think I will need to join an evening class first though.

Decided against this one, seeing as I can't write for toffee. Instead I have signed up to do a Tarot course starting this September.

4. To benefit others I am going to knit for the local premature baby unit.

I've made a grand total of 3 cardigans so far, I've not donated any to the premature baby unit yet, I thought I'd wait til I have a decent stack of them first. How many items makes 'a decent stack'? Anyone?

This journal has completed the first part of the journey. Now we will begin the process of recording our achievements for the year! I was both impressed and moved by your entries and hope everyone feels they have got something tangible out of this!

I have updated my pages and the journal is now on its way again to travel back and see how you have all done. In my case it is a case of 3 out of 4 aint bad and the only one I haven't managed is the self indulgent one! Hope you are all happy to see it again?

Achieved three of my four aims. Book is on its way to Olliebear.

Just wanted to let you know I have it, and have written in it but have yet to find a moment to log it on here...will make another entry shortly and send it on.

What a fab journal though!

What a fantastic book, here are my results on how I did against my initial aims:

OUt of my comfort Zone: My aim was to get some art work in an art gallery...well I have done slightly differently but have still achieved this aim to a certain degree. I have managed to learn crochet, build a website and go to craft fairs and sell some of my crafts which is a big deal for me as I am terrible at believing myself to be good enough to sell things I make. SO great big fat tick for this one!

Self Indulgent: My aim was to look after my hair...I have done this and also got my nose pierced to mark my 30th birthday coming next year! I am due another haircut for Christmas as well but am happy to say I have achieved this fab aim!

Something Silly: I aimed to be crafty just for the fun of it...well I have surpassed this one as mentioned in my first aim I have managed to take my crafting to a new level and sell my stuff and have a website! TICK!

Something to benefit others: I aimed to make and take some soft toys into a special care unit...I have failed miserably on this one, although I have made a blanket for a baby it was for a friend so doesn't really count. I have just chickened out of doing this one for a few reasons. I still intend to do it next year though as I will be more organised! I have supported other charities though through shopping in charity shops and helping with MS and Lupus charities. So in a way I have benfitted others, just not as I originally intended! Ah well.

So all in all a pretty successful year for me achieving certain goals. I only hope that next year is better!

Well done to everyone else as well! It is such a lovely book to read...I hope we can send it round next year???

Received this in the post today, I'm away for the weekend so I won't get a chance to look at it til Monday but I'm really excited to read what you've all been up to.

I even did a little whoop when I opened the package, it was like hearing from a long-lost friend.

It was brilliant to see this again, and read what everyone else has been up to.

I've done a very poor job of keeping my own resolutions, but this year has seen so many (positive!) changes in my life that I reckon I'm justified in saying it's gone quite well anyway!!

Thankyou so much Lady-Mondegreen for setting this up, it's been superb and I've really enjoyed it.

Passing on to Chelseagirl today.

Kleptokitty gave me this just before Xmas but I've only just got round to journalling it, sorry...

It's been wonderful reading everyone's achievements over the year, you've all done really well and should be proud of yourselves :0)

Me, I failed miserably on every target I set myself, except one. I didn't lose weight - in fact, I think I put on about half a stone. And because I didn't lose weight I didn't have a sauna every week, although we did manage two or three weekends away which included saunas and steam rooms. And I didn't manage to learn anything crafty, time just spliiped away from me :0(

But I did continue to give blood and I did work at a charity shop once a week for most of the year, although unfortunately I've had to stop for the time being because of other commitments. And I did make a regular donation to the National Deaf Children's Society (and still am ) so I don't feel I've been totally unhelpful in 2004.

Overall though, a very poor effort. Losing weight is top of the agenda for this year and I really must do it. Tomorrow. Oh, but then it's my birthday on Wednesday, don't want to be dieting then. And then my fiancé is taking me out for a meal on Saturday; might as well start the diet next Monday. But then ...

;0)

Happy 2005, everyone!

I'll post this off to loopy1 in the next couple of days.

The book I've both been dreading and looking forward to!

I think I can probably claim one and a half out of four for this, but I'll give it due consideration as I read through the other entries. The book is now looking very impressive!

I spent a fascinating afternoon yesterday reading all the entries and making my own updates. I decided I did pretty well - I claimed two successes and one part-success, the only complete failure being the one for someone else. I didn't get sorted into listening to children read at the local school as the Headteacher retired and there was an acting Head for a term. Now that upheaval is over I might try again. But I do run a chess club for the school, so it's not a complete failure!
I really enjoyed taking part in this project. Anyone doing it again this year?
Just need to get the address to send it on, then the book will be travelling again.

Arrived! Will read and fill in over the weekend, not sure I achieved anything but since I didn't get the book until May last year I'm considering granting myself until May to achieve my goals.... excuses, excuses.

Should be ready to post on Monday so I'll PM the next person now.

Received and read - will PM shelbycat for her address today.
I’ve read through everybody’s resolutions and achievements and am darn impressed, all in all. But one thing bothers me. I’ve pondered for a while as to whether to mention it at all, but then I decided to take a heart.
Why, as a group of intelligent, literate, enlightened young women, do we feel forced to place so much emphasis on weight loss and are so hard on ourselves if we are not thin? Quite a few of the journallers describe themselves kindly as hideous, monstrous, ballooning or similar negatively-weighted terms. Several haven’t managed to lose weight and are positively cruel in the language that they express this in. To me, this feels like a double whammy - not only do we perceive ourselves as overweight no matter what size we are, but we also judge ourselves incredibly harshly for not conforming to a health and beauty ideal that is at least partly only in the minds of clothing designers and fashion editors.
I completely get the point about overweight above a certain amount being unhealthy, but factors such as regular exercise, healthy diet, mental health, sleep hygiene and outlook to life all contribute in a major way to health as well. I can’t help feeling that our obsession with being thin gets in the way of some of these. If we feel hat we ought to lose weight for health reasons, could we not go to our GPs, be weighted, get cholesterol etc tests and have our bodyfat measured properly [BMI and other charts are often not sufficiently accurate to make drastic diet decisions] before panicking about what the extra pounds are doing to our bodies? GPs can also advise on other positive lifestyle changes likely to make a difference to our well-being and can help keep things in perspective. (I know all this depends on whether you have a good GP or not.)

I’m 5’9”. And I’m a size 20. (My anxious, easily-hurt, overcritical inner self is already reacting to the collective sharp intake of breath and tutting it is expecting at this point). It’s taken me a long time to accept my body as it is and try to do as many good things for it as is feasible for me at the current stage in my life. I’ve been happier for a far greater proportion of my daily life as a result. If I went down another size, I’d be incredibly proud and chuffed. I suspect it would make me feel better about myself, too. But it’s not the only change that has the power to do that and I’m standing on this soapboax because I feel that this might apply to some of you, too. I’m not judging anyone, I just need to say this. Feel free to tell me I’m wrong – from you ladies, I can handle it.

With all possible respect,

Esther

Right. Having done the soapbox bit, I'm now worried that I might have made people feel picked on or criticised. Please be assured that I wasn't having a pop at anybody, and dont see losing weight as a bad goal, or anything. I'd just noticed te clustering around the one topic, and needed to speak now, rather than forever holding my peace :)

In terms of my aims, I thought I'd let you know what I've done, as I'm nearly last on this journal and you won't get to find out otherwise. Please don't fall off your seats where you are doubtlessly perched speechless with excitement [...]

I've been very indulgent last year - I took a three month unpaid career break to do voluntary work in a rehabilitative daycentre for people suffering from "severe and enduring mental health problems" or, as one of them described it to me "for card-carrying nutters". That itself was pretty damn indulgent, but I only did it four days a week and had the fifth day off. THAT was incredibly indulgent because Chris, my other half, has the same day off and we got to spend time together or apart doing just things we like, without the mad weekend rush.

I called up the number provided by Lady-Mondegreen's leaflet and was passed up a couple of levels in the national blood service before they told me that I cannot become a donor due to a medical condition. Sigh. On the good side, my tree was planted in Wivenhoe Park at the University of Essex two weeks ago. It is a Mongolian Lime, also known as a Linden Tree, and it will be covered in little white blooms in May.

I saw the consultant for my snoring problems and I haven' got apnea, but something called upper airway resistance, which can be corrected with an operation I'll have to wait a couple of yars for.

I do lots of little silly things just for fun, or so I hope, but I have no idea whether I've achieved my original aim here - have changed gyms since thenand now can't check on the same equipment. On eof te most exceptionally silly and fun things I did last year was the inaugural Talk Like a Pirate Day London Renegades treasure hunt. We had a great laugh and I'd encourage anybody who can make it down to London to join in this yar.

RELEASE NOTES:

Posted off to Shelbycat on nearly the last leg of its journey!

This arrived a little while ago but i've been hugely busy so haven't managed to get it all filled in yet. Briefly this is how i've achieved/not achieved everything i set out to do in this journal:

Outside comfort zone- I've been going to see an occupational therapy person who has helped me loads so far with my agoraphobia, i've managed not to have panic attacks while driving etc, and i've only had 2 nasty ones in the last month (i had to go to England so i paniced on the big bridge). Still not able to drive to Carmarthen but i have been doing some little extra routes to my little "safe" places.

Comforting - I took a class in card-making which was lovely, and i've started to make cards

Silly thing - I haven't managed to get a tattoo yet, mainly because of the lack of progress in part 1, basically if i can't get to the tattoo-ist i can't get the tattoo :(

Benefitting others - I'm doing loads for the Cat's Protection League including doing home visits (actually i did one earlier this week), and i'm currently fostering one cat, and have fostered well over 10 cats/kittens in the last year.

I hope everyone else feels as good as i do about their success, and will be trying extra hard to do some of the not-so-successes this year :)

I am really looking forward to seeing this journal again when it gets home soon but thought I would journal again now having read all your responses online.

Well done everyone for taking part. I won't point to anyone and say her achievement outshines anyone else’s or knock anyone who didn’t achieve all of the aims (I certainly didn’t manage it so it would be hypocritical). Although we have shared our experiences with each other they are all of course unique and personal. I personally began last year Positively with a capital P and have recorded how it went but wanted to mention how the year ended for me on a low note & 2005 has continued to be a challenge. We might make our own aims and challenges but life can throw us a lot of curveballs and how we deal with them makes all the difference. We are a group of people who are prepared to "give it a go" and despite the fact that life is a constant challenge we still feel the need to get out there and make it fun as well. I still have my “life list” of things I want to do and am going to continue to try and have positive aims and plans otherwise the curveballs will just knock me down.

Just a couple of personal responses to two of you:

Please don’t worry Esther, I for one did not feel criticised/picked on (there was no sharp intake of breath either) and your remarks about obsession with weight were spot on and made me think hard about the whole issue. I still want to lose weight and am on the road to success now having lost over a stone in 9 weeks. But I feel my reasons are more positive and less about vanity or self-criticism. I want to improve my health and vitality. My sister was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes last year and my father who has had it for some years is now suffering the serious effects of not having managed his diet properly. This has given me a strong motivation for seeking and maintaining a much healthier lifestyle. (Btw, I love the sound of the Talk Like a Pirate Day London Renegades treasure hunt!).

Shelbycat: give yourself a huge pat on the back for the efforts you are making to overcome your agoraphobia. I sincerely hope you continue to do well and feel good.

I won’t be making any recorded aims for this year as my aim is to cope with the curve balls and I am achieving that so far.

Well done to you all and good luck with all your future aims and achievements. It doesn't matter if we don't achieve a thing it is the trying that is important! (Hmmm, hope I don’t sound all preachy? ;-)

Posted yesterday - 20th July 2005

This has returned to me again. Thanks Shelbycat. I will look forward to reading all the entries and feel inspired by everyone's efforts. We may not all have achieved our aims but we all tried, and that is more important after all? I will try to make a copy for everyone to post out to you all... but please be patient!