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Having a retrospective on 2018
In keeping with something I try and do each year, I am again reflecting on the year that just passed. And in the spirit of how I have been working in my professional life for much of 2018, I am doing it in the form of a retrospective.
A key event in Scrum* (the office based type, not outdoors on a field type) is the retrospective (retro). Done frequently, giving you and the team the opportunity to look back, to inspect and adapt, reflecting on what went well, and where you think you can improve in the next period. In practice, you should be having a retro at least fortnightly, not yearly, but you get the idea.
When I look back on last year’s post, I had a successful 2017. Areas for improvement in 2018 would have included doing my first yoga class (spoiler: it didn’t happen this year either), and doing more writing, which I am not totally happy with. By this I mean I would like to have done a lot more. And not just blogs, but more travel writing, and more fiction. Also building on my memoir experiment. A constant work in progress.
But, the overarching goal for every year that I am able to, is to learn something new, go somewhere different, and do something that I haven’t done before. I also want to read as many books as is humanly possible. The people who connect with me through the excellent app “Goodreads” will have seen my very ambitious target for 2018 was 120 books. This was a moonshot. And aiming for this allowed me to read a total of 115 books. A great achievement. I have slightly lowered my goal this year to 100. If you have any “must read” recommendations, send them through to me. I will add them to my ever expanding “to be read (tbr) pile”.
As I probably mentioned last year, having a list of goals suits me better than making up “New Year resolutions”. I don’t want the start of the year to be when I suddenly decide to improve myself. I want this to be an ongoing, ever evolving journey. Here is what I wrote as my goals for 2018:
- Do a surf lesson – outcome: Is there anything more quintessentially Australian, (other than hugging a koala bear, in your vest and flip flops, whilst cooking a prawn on the BBQ, chugging a coldie), than surfing? So many great ocean beaches. So much surf. And the romance of it all. Who hasn’t watched “Endless Summer”, or sang along to the Beach Boys, and not wanted to just get out there on their board? Well, as it turns out, me actually. I had thought this would be great, but on reflection, the reality of it does match the romance. I would be constantly falling off. I would be in danger of drowning in the swell. I would have salt water up my nose, and I would be choking. Have you even seen me trying to paddle board? ‘Nuff said.
- Drop 4kgs – outcome: This didn’t happen. But, the positives I take is that I didn’t put 4kgs on. I have come to the realisation that I love the lifestyle that I have, balancing being a bon vivant, with being mindful of my diet and exercise. I don’t want to be Joe Wicks. I want to be a healthy version of me. And I’m winning. For now. It is a precarious balance, but as I leave 2018 the same weight as I entered it, then I must be doing something right.
- Experience my first cold Xmas in 6 years – outcome: I am afraid this was another where the romance of it was driving my thought process. My heart ruling my head. I really did start the year thinking I would be ending it in Canada, wrapped up warm, enveloped in North Face clothing, but revelling in my first cold Xmas since 2011. However, planning the summer holidays, in the depths of a July winters day, I already knew that I would again be having an antipodean Xmas. Prawns, bbqs, and beaches (as per above, minus the koala hugging).
- Increase my knowledge of wine – outcome: A success. Any casual observer of this blog, or anybody that knows me, will also know that I am a lover of good wine. Over the years my tastes have developed from drinking wine out of a box on long backpacking trips, to now being picky about exactly what region I want to drink my Cabernet from. A trip to Mudgee, NSW, in January kicked off the wine tasting year, and having the opportunity to taste wines in four completely new wine regions, in New Zealand, ended the year. I am still on my wine journey. I’ll never be a sommelier, but I do like to know my way around a wine list.
- Visit somewhere new – outcome: I managed to maintain this tradition, with my first visit to the paradise that is Hamilton Island, off the coast of Queensland, in the Whitsunday Islands. I wrote about this trip in an earlier blog. And just the thought of it brings me out in a beaming smile. I will be back.
In summary, I signed off 2018 in the same way that I started it. Happy. Energised. Positive. Excited and enthusiastic for the challenges and adventures ahead. I know this year will continue in the same vein. It is the year I will need to find a new job, as my current contract is coming to an end. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 2+ years there, but I stick to my motto, “always leave the party whilst you are enjoying it the most.”
This year brings a significant birthday (not mine) to plan for and celebrate, which will be done searching out the “big 5” on safari, with some wine tasting thrown in. There is my first visit back in 2 years to the UK to see my mum. Oh, and my sisters. And all my other family and friends. Part of this trip will see me exploring places I haven’t yet seen. Will I win my fortune in Monte Carlo? Is Nice nice? How many Greek tavernas can i visit whilst in Santorini and Kos?
I will continue with my growth mindset, stretching myself personally, and professionally. On the personal front, doing more writing, even maybe entering a few short story competitions, or submitting a few travel articles. See if this takes me in any new directions. Do more meditation. It works. Trust me. And on the professional front, I will strive to become an even better coach, helping teams and organisations become their best selves.
You see, the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to get started.
*Scrum – the latest and greatest in the world of software delivery. Move over PRINCE2, you are so passe. This is a job for Scrum, coupled with an “agile mindset”.
2015, end of year wrap up – New Year Evolutions
Quite pointedly, you will see that I have not referenced “resolutions” in this. Why is that? As we all know, resolutions only ever turn out to be a temporary state of affairs. Very ephemeral. They don’t even sometimes last beyond the first hangover of the year. When all you are craving is a bacon, egg, and black pudding butty.
The first time you fall off your own particular wagon, then it is a case of, “oh well, maybe I will try that again next January.” I am a firm believer in living the very best life you can. All the time. Not once a year. And not as a result of a guilt fueled post December blow out.
I do like to set myself annual goals though. Things I want to do and achieve. With my life. With loved ones. It’s the truest of truisms that time flies when you are having fun. And a truth universally acknowledged that it goes even faster the older you get.
This was brought very sharply into focus recently when I happened across a blog post from a chap called Tim Urban (www.waitbutwhy.com). A posting he wrote about “life in charts”. When you can see all your life on one chart, it is visually very powerful. When you can cross off the time you have had, and see the remainder, it reminds us that we are not immortal, and don’t in fact have all the time in the world.
Cross off what you have had, it is powerful |
It went something like this, as applied to me. If I am lucky enough to last to the ripe old age of 90, I have 46 years left. I currently see my family maybe once a year on average. If I do nothing to increase that average, I will only get to see them properly again for a maximum of 46 times. I don’t want to consider what this means to the times I get to see my mum, who, barring a miraculous, medical discovery, won’t be around to see me reach my 90th birthday.
This isn’t supposed to be depressing. Rather, a reminder that we should make the most of the time we do have. Use it valuably. Don’t waste time on arguments or petty grudges. Because folks, life really is too short
Setting goals for the year motivates me to make sure I am living my life the way I want to. Filling it with great experiences. So as I look back over the year, at times like these, in the rear view mirror, over my turkey, and pigs in blankets, I do so with satisfaction and not regret.
Looking back over a list I made myself at the start of 2015, I haven’t done too bad. Some items will carry over to this year, but isn’t that the idea? Create an aspirational list, and see where you land. My one perennial item, that always gets carried over is “lose weight”. Not because I want to go on some fad diet, and lose lots of weight. But rather, to maintain the lifestyle I enjoy so much, which includes lots of eating out, and lots of cocktails, then my weight is one thing that keeps me in the gym so many times a week.
Items on my list for last year included:
- Go and actually see something at the Opera House (rather than just using the toilets) – ticked this off in December, when we went to see the amazing “Sleeping Beauty” ballet.
- Eat fish and chips in England – ticked off courtesy of the wonderful friend, with whom I had a splendid, boozy, lunch of fabulous fish and chips at the new Catch restaurant in West Vale, Halifax.
- Visit somewhere new – ticked off with a first visit to Jervis Bay, Huskisson, and Hyam’s beach on the south coast of New South Wales. What was going to be a quiet night in the famous “Husky” pub turned into a big night after being told we had to “push on”. So we spent the night listening to a live rendition of such Aussie classics such as Khe San by Cold Chisel. Harper and Tarimo, go and google them. Obviously not as popular as The Proclaimers in the hot spots of Halifax and Huddersfield.
- Learn a bit more Spanish, and speak it in Spain – ticked off with a weekend in Marbella, with some of my oldest (and they are quite old) mates.
- Continue writing – something I have strived to do with regular-ish blog updates. If I am honest, I would like to write more, but not sure you would all agree that’s such a good idea 🙂
- Continue finding new places to eat in Sydney – not much of a hardship this one. And with an exploding, world class dining scene, it is not very hard to achieve either.
And then the year had lots of highlights, and lots of firsts
I attended the world’s largest BBQ with my new friends Pam and Roy. I’m convinced that they will still be eating the leftovers. To this very day. I also attended the world’s slowest BBQ (in fact I must point out that Mr Kent did an admirable job on his first occasion of using a behemoth of a gas BBQ. He wasn’t in fact quite as slow as Miss Harper has painted him out to be). If only wee Tom could have been there to see him.
At the age of 43 I went ice skating for the very first time…at Bondi Beach. Yes folks, you read that correctly. Once a year an ice rink gets put up on the promenade overlooking the world famous beach. It was great fun, even if I did resemble a drunk Bambi, trying to keep from falling over, as 5 year olds zoomed past me like Torvill and Dean.
Whale watching made the list of firsts, even though it was the second time I had been out on a trip. This was the first time I had actually seen any whales.
Stand Up Paddle boarding was a first that will definitely be repeated. Despite needing even better balance than when I went ice skating, I surprised myself by being able to stay upright for long periods at a time. I was even upright for a whole 10 minutes at one point.
Despite living in Sydney now for over 3 years, 2015 was the first time I had been to the “Vivid” light show in Sydney. An annual lights extravaganza that has to be seen to be believed. www.vividsydney.com
January saw us welcome our first visitors of the year from the UK. And the first time I had seen a person visibly melt in the sun in front of my eyes, like an ice cream left outside for too long. A day at cricket at Sydney Cricket Ground saw us battling with the heat in ways not usually experienced in Greetland.
Thailand – and a return to Koh Samui after about 15 years. Needless to say the place had changed, and in a good way. We had an excellent time, fueled by cheap beers, pad thai and me discovering piña coladas. How damn good are those bad boys?!
August saw me bring in my 3 year anniversary, and we finally got to have cocktails (about $1m worth!!!) in the Shanghai bar. Known to you and me, and the rest of the world, as the Shangri La hotel. And what a view from the room. The ultimate staycation. Matched by a stay later in the year at the wonderful Ovolo hotel down on finger wharf at Woolloomooloo. Free mini bar, AND free drinks in the bar between 5pm to 7pm. Beat that.
A trip home to the motherland in September, with Ma Cormack returning with us, for her second visit, bringing Helen in tow. This was covered in my last posting. And a holiday back to the wonderful Palm Cove in Far North Queensland over xmas rounded the year off perfectly, before spending NYE down at Sydney Harbour, for a fireworks display that always leaves me breathless.
And so, onto 2016, and all that brings. Hopefully a good one for you, your family, and all your friends.
p.s. another first – the first blog post I have done on my new toy, the gargantuan iPad Pro. I also have the “pencil”, and have started sketching, so I may follow Winston Churchill into painting out the later years of my life.
Signing off 2017
- Do a yoga class – result: I didn’t get to do yoga, but did start doing reformer pilates, something I hadn’t even heard of at the start of the year. Reformer pilates classes last for 1 hour, and isolate parts of your body in slow, controlled exercises. Who knew it could be so effective? So much so that I have already pre-purchased classes for the month of January.
- See lots of Italy – result: I did see lots of Italy. I wrote this knowing we would be going on holiday to Italy, and we took 3 weeks to travel the length and breadth of that beautiful country. Along the way I brushed up on my rudimentary Italian, and tried quite a few Aperol Spritzs. Whilst in Rome we were lucky enough to be able to eat at Aroma restaurant, which overlooks the Colosseum. We had the perfect table, champagne (I am still scratching my head over the price), and fabulous food.
- Do a surf lesson – result: I didn’t get around to this so it will be carried over to 2018. What we did do was more stand up paddle boarding. Even if most of mine was kneel down paddle boarding. On a beautiful stretch of the coastline, in Rockingham, Western Australia, we hired a couple of boards and had a great hour paddling around.
- Drive from Perth to Broome – result: Due to realising that driving north would result in us slowly cooking like xmas turkeys in the campervan, we changed our route and went south from Perth, which was a lot cooler in the evenings. Along the way we discovered what I would confidently say are the best beaches in Australia. I also found the best fish and chips in Australia, but that will be part of another blog.
- Visit Margaret River in Western Australia – result: We did. This was included simply on the basis that we love tasting wine and visiting new wine regions. Margaret River has a great reputation for it’s wine. I can confirm that the wines are excellent. And I tasted (drank) a lot so feel confident in my assertion. Whilst in that part of the world we even got to another new wine region, the Swan Valley, just 30 minutes north of Perth. I won’t tell you how much wine we bought as a result of all our wine tasting, but needless to say we have had to sell all our furniture to fit it in the apartment.
- Learn basic Italian – result: I did, for the holiday. And through the 3 weeks there, managed to pick up even more.
- One thing that wasn’t on my list, as I didn’t plan it myself, was a hot air balloon ride. Something I have wanted to do for many years, since watching my Dad go off in one for his 60th birthday. A recent Saturday morning saw us meeting up with Balloon Aloft in Mudgee, at 3.45am, for a sun rise flight, followed by a champagne breakfast. All I can say is a big thank you, you know who you are.
Should I put the iron away and travel?
I have loved travel for most of my life. And when I say travel, I don’t mean holidays. (Although, I do bloody love holidays). I mean what I would call real travel. Not cocooned in some 5 star hotel, plumping my pillows, and bedding down in Egyptian cotton sheets of the highest quality thread count, whilst the locals can’t afford food and drink, let alone shelter. Not soothed by air conditioning when the locals live in temperatures that could cook an egg.
And not visiting a place, to stay imprisoned within the confines of a resort, owned by an overseas conglomerate, never to venture outside, to interact with the locals. No. I want to sample some amazing street food. I want to smell the spices. I want to be visually bombarded with colour, and activity. I want to contribute to the local economy, not the faceless one.
When people tell me they have been to a certain country, when in fact they never left their international hotel resort drives me mad. If you are going to visit a country, visit that country, its people, and its customs. India is not best seen through the windows of your air-conditioned tour bus. You won’t see some of Mexico’s best temples, from early civilisation, from your lounger in a US run holiday resort. And the UK is not best seen from an open top bus in London. Whilst I’m on that point, no open top bus is probably good advice, knowing the English weather.
The amount of people I talk to here who tell me they went to the UK and loved London. The end. The whole of the UK, and they loved London. If I had a Bitcoin for every time somebody here asked me “when do you fly to London” whenever I visit the UK, I still wouldn’t understand Bitcoin. But I would have a lot of them. By the way, I blatantly stole that one, so if you are reading this, over your freshly baked focaccia with smashed avo, I do heartily apologise. The blank stares I get when I ask people what they thought of the Lake District, the beautiful Cornish coastline, or the wonders of Edinburgh and Glasgow, confounds me.
One of the greatest travel writers, Paul Theroux, said “tourists don’t know where they have been, travellers don’t know where they are going.” And that encapsulates the feeling, and the joy of travel. Waking up one day, not knowing where you will be going to bed. The unbridled freedom this gives. Backpacking. Independent travel. Whatever label we want to give to it, it is about immersing yourself in a country, and a culture. Find your favourite local bakery. Your favourite spot for morning coffee. Order it in the local language. OK, I admit this could be difficult in Scotland. Laugh along when you get it completely wrong. Walk the streets, smell the smells. Listen to the cacophony of sounds. See what the locals do. Just sit and people watch. Let your mind wander. A form of meditation. Be present.
This is the travel that I have in my heart. What I yearn for most days. Trapped in an office, earning the money to be able to escape the office, and go off and do these things feels like a Faustian pact. Modern life has a way of keeping you in chains. To enjoy a lot of the things that we want to enjoy, we need money. And so we sell our services, to the highest bidder. A roaming troubadour. A means to an end.
And this is where our life conditioning comes in again. We are told that we need to work hard, save lots of money in our superannuation, or pension, and then, when we reach retirement age, which seems to keep creeping inexorably up, we can take that money and “enjoy” life. And I have seen how that works out for a lot of people. My own father amongst them. His dream was to retire and move to Spain. A very modest dream. And that man worked harder than anybody I have ever known. But he never got to live out his dream. Cancer took his dream away.
I read of people who strive every day, struggle every day, ticking off the days to retirement. Then retirement comes along, and they are suddenly struck down with a fatal heart attack.
OK, OK, I know I have being a little morbid. And a trifle dramatic. I am not naive enough to think this happens everyone. Lots of people do get to retire, and go off and do the things they have dreamt about all their hard-working life. But is it worth taking the chance? Every day I bottle up all these feelings. Keep the lid on them. Do a job that I feel trapped in. Office bound.
That I am doing this until some arbitrary date in the future seems pointless. I have money in the bank. And I have my health and fitness. For now. I have to admit, my knees give me cause for concern most mornings. So why am I not off travelling? Living the life I would prefer to live. Tipping the scales so that the balance is in favour of travel, and less so on work. There are places in the world I am desperate to see. Why am I still ironing shirts for work on Sunday afternoons, and not packing my bags?
Only I can answer that.
Hunter Valley wine tour with Kangarrific Tours