Resolutions

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me: "Did you make any New Year resolutions?" It's tradition I suppose. I tend to make some loose plans as opposed to what one would call resolutions.

This tends to happen on the first day of January of course, and the Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of new beginnings. I would like to think that 2012 will be just that.

In previous years I have tended to get a bit carried away with my list of plans. I do like a list. Actually, I like crossing things off a list and have been known to add something to a list I've already completed, just to have the pleasure of crossing it off!

But I digress. This year I kept it to three:

1/ Pay the bills. Seems an obvious one, but as a freelance creative this is quite a challenge. To date I've always achieved this but it would be nice this year to go a little bit beyond just paying the bills. You see, I was just about to add to the list again!

2/ Finish the film Sleepless 'til Seattle. Simple enough statement. Quite another thing achieving it. This is the focus and major challenge of the year. I've only just started editing the footage, though currently that amounts to randomly opening one or two clips out of the 3,500 or so and wondering where on earth I'm going to start! Then there's musicians asking me for pointers for the type of music I want, animators wondering when I'll know what maps I want in 3D animation, and so on. It's exciting of course, but I'm entering a whole new area of film making. This time it's serious.

3/ No regrets. This is a tricky one. I wouldn't want to say that it applies to everything. For example, imagine deciding you're going to say exactly what's on your mind to everyone so you have no regrets in not saying it. That could lead to a few hurt people maybe. It applies more to positive actions I would say. Last year I met up with my best friend in America to cycle from Boston to Seattle. I was sacrificing the possibility of good paid work and a comfortable lifestyle for a while, but with the recent deaths of two friends, and mainly because it was the opportunity to spend a quality amount of time with Pauline. So I went for it, as I knew I would regret it if I didn't. That kind of sums up this third plan. Balanced judgement without fear.

It's no use! I can't help it. I have to add to the list! Let's just call this things I'm looking forward to:

Performing some public talks on my American adventure; a holiday; tramping and camping in the Scottish mountains; finishing a script I've been working on for years. The event I'm most looking forward to is when my best friend Pauline returns from her world cycle. It's many months away yet, but it will be great to see her once again. The last time was waving a tearful goodbye in Vancouver airport as we parted after our great American cycle.

Here's to 2012. Happy New Year.