Happy New Year!

2012 has arrived, and it’s going to be an awesome year. For me, it’s going to be a year of doing. Less talk, more action. I don’t subscribe to the notion of resolutions, but over the last few weeks travelling around Europe, I really took the time to take stock of where I am in my life. And there’s plenty more I could be doing, that I should be doing. So 2012 will be about not treading water.

What do you wish for in 2012?

[Source: Pinterest]

And what better way to start the year than with a new look for the blog. But that’s not all: I have decided to take this site in a new direction. Previously, it was feeling lost, directionless and a little trite. I lost enthusiasm last year because I wasn’t moving forward, and I have not been developing my writing, my voice. But’s that’s all going to change.

The Challenge

Commit to writing five blog posts per week for six months on specific topics.

The American has challenged me to write five posts per week for six months about set topics. It will mirror a challenge I have set for him: attending six months of classes at the comedy college, attending a set number of open mikes throughout the week and publishing his daily comic strip ‘The Chronicles of Larry & Gary’. The aim is to keep is to keep each other accountable.

I believe these topics will be rather interesting: they’ll be part writing exercise, part critical thinking exercise and part therapy. Some of the things holding me back need to be exposed – they’re completely ridiculous. No doubt you will soon find out I have some crazy and nonsensical ideas about things.

One of the conditions of this challenge is that I only write positively. Humourous writing is fine, even encouraged, said the American. But it has to be positive. I think that was a gentle hint that perhaps I’ve become a little negative recently, and I’m happy to see that perspective altered. I don’t want to be old and bitter. I may be where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there.

Whilst writing about set topics doesn’t provide me an enormous amount of flexibility, I feel I could really benefit from the structure (and discipline) this challenge will bring. It’ll enable me to develop my writing (outside of what I do for work) and start pursuing the goals I have set for myself. As the American said, “You’re going to get old. So you might as well spend your time doing something”. Wise words.

And why only six months? That’s how long the American’s comedy classes are and it’s not as daunting as a year. At the end of the six months, I’ll evaluate the project and see how it works for me. Perhaps I’ll continue on, perhaps it’ll be an opportunity to start something fresh. But starting something is the main thing.

I am looking forward to growing, developing and challenging some of my crazy ideas, and I welcome your feedback.

The gauntlet has been thrown and I have accepted the challenge. Are you with me?