The year that was, 2018

2018 is more or less over and it's time to look back and decide if it was worth the bother. Work has been tough this year, with a new role and responsibilities but despite that I've managed to improve my physical and mental health (especially the former). But it's not good enough, and I think 2019 needs to be a year where I focus on sorting out my personal life. I'm still not creating enough, and that is in part because of the limited time I spend doing useful things outside of work. Still, this is post is about the things I have done so let's look at the positives. It's not all Elite Dangerous and YouTube.

• 13 posts on this blog (14 including this one)
• 2 posts on my gaming blog
• another year of the Year in Pictures site, up to 21 photographers
• created the Year in Pictures helper and only completely broke it once
• over 239 contributions to various projects on github (down from last year)
• started a new D&D game (Elsewhere) resulting in much writing, drawing of maps and running of sessions
• went on another photography course to learn how the rest of the buttons on my camera work
• 100+ pictures on my instagram account
• loads of photos on my flickr stream
• became a Reader at the British Library (and failed to find the thing I was looking for)
• helped out at Codebar
• lost a load of weight
• started back at the gym properly
• updated my website and Gareth's website
• made a set of coasters with pictures of my nephew at different points over his first year

It's not a lot, but this has been a very work-centric year. That is definitely something to change in 2019. On top of this, I've also learned to pick a lock, introduced some friends to the joys of the escape room, done a load more sound desk stuff, and failed to see the friends I mentioned last year.

Resolution count: 6/10 - definitely improving over previous years.

This coming year needs to do more with what I started this year. More serious exercise, with an endgame I'm actually happy with. Code more. Draw more. Create some things that aren't the blog / game cycle. It's going to be another busy one at work, which means I need to be careful to avoid just getting sucked into it. After a scientific analysis of work and play I'm going to be doing at least one thing every month. And I will definitely see those people this year.

Brace yourself, everyone. 2019 incoming...