So - did anyone make any ? anyone make any and stick to them ?

I made two small ones, one of which I'm still holding to, and the other I'm pretty sure lasted until I was back at my desk on 2nd Jan

1 - Look into the bands in people's signatures on here - I've discovered some great music so far (Adder's Fork, Stranger Country, and Gatekeeper to name three). Great way to hear new sounds I wouldn't otherwise come across in the media / via the holy algorithm.

2 - Stop arguing about politics with keyboard vikings/communists/wannabevictorians/etc., on the internet - I've left Facebook, so that's done with, and haven't even touched the politics parts of the Paradox forums, but otherwise failure total & complete. There is of course an obligatory XKCD.

I started a new gym routine in December where I was doing roughly an hour of some sort of exercise every day (cardio, weights, yoga, etc) in hopes that after a month I would figure out what I did and didn't like about the routine and be able to make changes starting at the beginning of this year. I had been pretty consistent with the gym prior, I was just very limited in what I was doing and wanted to incorporate different exercises in my routine. I eventually landed on what I think works really well for me and have been consistent so far since the beginning of January.

One of my goals is to get into power metal, and it's been good so far. I'm enjoying this band named Destiny's End and enjoyed a lot of power/thrash bands. I also can't believe I've ignored Blind Guardian for so long, their albums are addicting.

Home exercises 5 days a week - started in late December, doing more than alright, skipped only a couple of days; weight loss starting to become noticeable.

Get myself reacquainted pre-Alternative 4 Anathema + start listening to post-Alternative 4 albums - ongoing, plus other old favorites are joining the rotation - Katatonia, The Gathering... awesome, revelatory etc.

Spend some time with Blasphemer-era Mayhem - interesting, glad I finally looked deeper into these albums; still absorbing some of this stuff.

Read more. Read, read, read, you lazy bastard! Read every day. Proper literature, I mean. Since mid-December, I've been disciplined about this like never before in my life. Always used to read a ton, but my job involves reading a lot of banal nonsense and at the end of the day, my eyes are GONE. So, for the past 4-5 years, I've really slowed down with proper books. Speaking of which...

Change your job! Start looking for a new one, at least - total failure on this front.

Oh, well, you can't have Mayhem AND existential satisfaction.

EDIT: Of course, how could I forget this one:

Start posting on the forum and writing reviews again. And this time don't delete them! - one approved, one pending; so far, so good.

Wouldn’t really call this a resolution, but every year lately I start off intending to listen, in alphabetical order just so I don’t forget somethine again, to all the music I haven’t properly digested from the previous year(s). This time, being home more often has meant accumulating a larger back-catalogue than usual; so it’s mid-February and I’ve just started the D’s.

Actually record my music. I need a guitarist, and drummer, I’ll do bass and vocals, to play live. Of course, live shows are a problem, since I live in the United States, and no one’s vaccinated, but eventually.

Actually Write, not just think about, but fully develop and write the first draft of one of my novels by the end of the year. We are mid Feb now and actually that has not gone so well - but mainly down to a dull January, and then kicking the heck outta my other goal which is to get all the infrastructure built and ready in my garden for the veg and flower growing season. A big goal is to grow as much food as possible for the household so we get incrementally more self sufficient.

Another new year goal was listen to more and more new music. I got a little lost from it due to work and other brain drainers, so getting back into that in big. And to actually write the album i've been contemplating for too long too!!

I didn't like how I let personal things going wrong in 2020 get to me a bit, so my resolution was to not let 2021 do that. Since issues with my health and living situation are ongoing I basically just assumed that 2021 would be crappy all the way through. It's working so far - I'm more relaxed and whenever things aren't crappy I enjoy that my expectations have been exceeded!

That's the toughest one these days, hope you have some luck with that.




Absolutely had the same reaction to Blind Guardian - just flew under the radar for me for so long !



Good luck with that, one of the best things about new year is that a lot of people tend to get a bit of a jolt to do something different, so hopefully things improve for you.

Thanks. Of course, much as I dislike my job, I at least still have it. My thoughts go out to those numerous people who have unfortunately lost theirs due to the crisis and I hope they make it through without much trouble.

My band goals are more or less on schedule right now with an acoustic album coming out next week, Lavaborne just finished recording our debut album, and my side project is preparing to record an EP. The more discography-oriented listening has also been going well and I've managed to crank out a decent number of reviews as well.

On the flip side, I've been slacking a bit on my gym visits and dragging my feet on setting up voice lessons and therapy. I suppose the latter bits are trickier to finagle with the pandemic and all. Also still contemplating picking up keyboard but haven't bought one yet, I just got a pretty big bonus through work so I could certainly get something solid now.

So yeah, bit of a mixed bag so far but it's getting there.

I've been consistently drawing/sketching/doodling/painting every day and I'm smitten. Started this art journey around March 2020 and I feel confident in saying I've come a long way in less than a year. The best thing to me is that it doesn't feel like "practice" because I'm completely obsessed. If I'm not actively drawing, I'm thinking about drawing. Watching others create on youtube. Saving references. Making lists of ideas to draw or paint later.

I realized lately that any given day is judged "good or bad" based almost entirely on how much time I spent with a pencil or pen making scribbles. So I'm trying to lean into that even further.

Good lord, am I in that same boat with you!

Every year I tell myself I'm going to lose weight and get my diet in order and exercise more.

Every year I get fatter.

That's a tough one that I'm also trying to achieve, trying to learn how to:
a) not give a shit
b) stop using political arguments as a mental exercise to keep myself stimulated and blow off steam and
c) get over my FOMO that I'll miss out on global/local news and social occurrences

Fuck it's tough, I just need to get over myself

Edit: As of this morning, Facebook Dursted our (Australia's) biggest news companies owned by Murdoch which is the a big chunk of news sources for the population lol.