2024 review / 2025 plans

[DeskJockey]

That's tough @mr_jon. Hope it goes as well as can be hoped. As others have said this is a safe little corner of the internet to vent/spill on, if needed.

[Gavster]

Check your Medical Insurance... I had 25, hour long sessions for 1 excess payment (£100)

Oh that's awesome! A friend of mine has been lucky enough to be offered therapy on the NHS, they only have to wait 6 - 12 months for it to start .

[ZedLeg]

I went to my dr yesterday because I’ve been having some not great thoughts for a while.

Changing my medication and a psych referral, based on how that went for my partner, I’m not holding out much hope tbh.

[dinny_g]

Also I recently got a lot from hypnosis-based therapy

Another Hypnosis fan here - 2 separate treatments for 2 very different but very specific things and both worked 100%.

[Explosive Newt]

Different but related topic - I know a few people who go to coaching (some are actually corporate enough to have it as part of their job) and it's something I have wondered about as I have felt at a bit of a crossroads careers wise, in terms of not knowing what I really want.

[DeskJockey]

Different but related topic - I know a few people who go to coaching (some are actually corporate enough to have it as part of their job) and it's something I have wondered about as I have felt at a bit of a crossroads careers wise, in terms of not knowing what I really want.

I had a coach in a previous role and I found it really useful and focusing. Definitely worth exploring.

For me it was the act of saying out loud what I wanted, that gave me the drive to push to get there.

[Gavster]

Yep, also a fan of coaching, in fact I'm meeting a new one on Friday!

I've found it very good for accelerating decision making in my professional life, clarifying what I really want to do, providing support around taking risks to get there, plus general accountability for making things happen.

ETA: Basically paying for support that extends where friends/family etc can't

[duncs500]

Also I recently got a lot from hypnosis-based therapy

Another Hypnosis fan here - 2 separate treatments for 2 very different but very specific things and both worked 100%.

I'm curious about what this can do. Any recommendations for that? I don't trust t'internet to do a good job of recommending someone.

[dinny_g]

My first session set was very specific. I was unhappy at work for many years but just couldn't get the drive to quit and move on. I was settled. It was comfortable, I had fear of change, grass isn't always greener etc but deep down, I knew it was impacting my health and my self confidence. I had a world of experience and transferrable skills in an industry where there were lots of options but I was stuck.

So the initial session set was an initial 1 hour "Getting to you know you and the problem and then 4, 45 minute hypnosis sessions. Within 6 weeks of completing the sessions, I had set up my own limited company, handed in my notice and was actively interviewing.

So this is where it comes down a little bit to trust or faith - the cynic will say it's placebic. The fact of taking the positive step of therapy is enough to kick start things and then it snowballs etc. But there had been similar pushes previously which never seemed to get me impetuous to go.

Truth is, I don't know. I have no idea what was said to me while I was "under" as I was properly out. The 45 min session feels like only 5 minutes. But I do know this worked, as well as for my other half (for something completely different) and then again for me with a different issue.

However, my therapist turned out to be not what I thought him to be when he became a Mahooosive Brexit Supporting UKIP General Election Candidate... Wouldn't feel right going to him again

[ZedLeg]

A holistic practitioner is a extreme political crank? doesn’t seem likely

[dinny_g]

Very interesting character - has an MBE for services to Charities in Albania, had his own "This is your Life", 8th DAN Karate Black Belt.

He was also the Estate Agent who sold me my first house - I sometime wonder if I ever really liked that place before I met him. IT was the first house we looked at, we put in an offer that day and didn't look at any other places...

[Gavster]

Also I recently got a lot from hypnosis-based therapy

Another Hypnosis fan here - 2 separate treatments for 2 very different but very specific things and both worked 100%.

I'm curious about what this can do. Any recommendations for that? I don't trust t'internet to do a good job of recommending someone.

I did cognitive hypnotherapy, which is where you get taken into a trance to relive and create a new perspective around historic events. I was doing it for quite personal relationship-related stuff.

A good place to start is the BACP directory, at least they're all accredited on there https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/us ... directory/

[JonMad]

I missed this at the start of '24 so....

Work: ticking over. Half heartedly working towards my next promotion (which has been over a decade, hence 'half heartedly' is not an understatement). This is the year where things might align so we'll see how that ends up. This summer will also mark 30 years - my one employer since leaving Uni. Work life balance is ok though - able to be at home most evenings to help out with kids' stuff (see later).

Cars: No changes to the fleet. Yeti (had 10 years) continues to perfectly serve the family needs. Swift (had 4 years) does the run arounds and the occasional longer trip. Fabia (had nearly 6 years) sitting on the drive on the trickle charger mostly doing nothing. Had a new clutch and some other money spent so ideally time to use it, or sell it.

Health: Pretty good, need to lose a few lbs. Wife is tired a lot though, doing most of the house stuff, running her business (hairdresser) and sorting the kids out whilst I sit on my bum working at a computer and only really able to get involved in the evenings. My parents spent another year in and out of hospitals for various things but seem ok right now and we had a great weekend recently, celebrating his 80th in style. Wife's Mum is showing signs of memory loss/dementia but as ever she is in denial about wanting to get any medical help or an actual diagnosis, which is all stressing out her Dad. At least we've got Powers of Attorney prepped. Lots of horror stories about the cost of care homes. My biological father has had a couple of faints/falls, both times requiring stitches, so not sure how much longer he'll be driving for. He's also deaf so, for example, had no idea he was sat with his foot on the gas at 5k rpm after he started his car, last time he visited.

Family: kids having fun, growing up, doing good things.

Holidays: After NYC for my 50th we had another fortnight in France camping (and have just booked the same place again for this summer as the kids love it, so why not) and a week in Malta for some October sunshine.

House: Probably need to spend a bit here. A few things building up that are looking a bit tired, as my wife has been pointing out for, err, some time now.

Music: possibly my personal highlight. After a bit more playing around with synthesizers and putting videos on YouTube that nobody watches, I discovered Electronic Music Open Mic (EMOM) events. Having gone along to my first one to see what it was all about I've now done 10-15 minute slots on 4 occasions, with positive, encouraging feedback from other artists and attendees. Way out of my comfort zone. Hoping to do more of that this year, and the synth corner of my WFH desk has expanded by one more device.

[duncs500]

Music: possibly my personal highlight. After a bit more playing around with synthesizers and putting videos on YouTube that nobody watches, I discovered Electronic Music Open Mic (EMOM) events. Having gone along to my first one to see what it was all about I've now done 10-15 minute slots on 4 occasions, with positive, encouraging feedback from other artists and attendees. Way out of my comfort zone. Hoping to do more of that this year, and the synth corner of my WFH desk has expanded by one more device.

Saw this on social media, great work!

[JonMad]

Ahhh, thanks Duncs!

[240PP]

2024: Had a few holidays and weekends way in Istanbul, Kos, Edinburgh, Devon and Gower. Some concerts (Miles Kane, Noel, Johnny Marr) and a couple of festivals. A few theatre trips too. And a beer with the burger connoisseurs Jobbo and Jimmy.

Swapped my A5 for the later model in Jan. no major changes in that other than the switch from diesel to petrol and a few nice options. Performance seems similar going from a 3.0TDI to a 2.0 TFSI.

Plans for 2025 are for more time away. Mauritius, Edinburgh (again), Paris and Como are already planned and booked. Oasis in Sept, Ricky Gervais in June. Four weddings to go to.

Hoping to bag some consulting work this year, that’d be nice. I’m becoming a bit obsessive about retirement planning, even though it’s a long way off. I like working and have no great desire to jack it in yet but I have a need to have it all sorted right now, for some reason.

I like Christmas and NY but it always nice to get it out of the way and crack on. Looking forward to 2025.

[mik]

Four weddings to go to.

Listen dude - I’m not quite sure how to break this to you; but….

[Barry]

I don't tend to do these naval gazing posts as I don't plan much and pretty much just try to cope with life as it hits me each year. Over the course of '23/24 I had to deal with three deaths, YK you are familiar with, then a colleague from work who got taken by C as well, then a friends middle child died from drug overdose. He was fairly broken anyway but that fully ruined his family, now divorced, he's disowned myself and the other close group and moved back to NE near his folks. So you can imagine, I've not really been in a great mood to be doing stuff. I still find myself flying solo too, so the financial concerns of modern life are front and centre, I need to do quite a bit on the house and at the same time I'm ever more concerned with retirement and finances.

Plans wise, I'd like to get a few short UK bike trips in this year, and there's a very slim chance of a trip to watch some Irish Road Rallying later in the year. Other than that, we're busy at work thankfully so that's my main focus (the industry has been through some serious redundancies, and still more to come by the feel of it).

[dinny_g]

If I get a bonus in April, we'll be having a final blow out holiday with Mini-Dinny before his Gap year and ultimately Uni. I've always wanted to explore the south west coast of France, from Biarritz in the south to the mouth of the Bordeaux River. Ideally, 2 separate week long holiday lets, one in the south and another in the north. Ferry to North Spain etc.

So apparently we have decided we don't want do that and we would prefer to go to Sorrento instead

Anyone been to Sorrento with any recommendations for that area ?

[Gavster]

If I get a bonus in April, we'll be having a final blow out holiday with Mini-Dinny before his Gap year and ultimately Uni. I've always wanted to explore the south west coast of France, from Biarritz in the south to the mouth of the Bordeaux River. Ideally, 2 separate week long holiday lets, one in the south and another in the north. Ferry to North Spain etc.

So apparently we have decided we don't want do that and we would prefer to go to Sorrento instead

Anyone been to Sorrento with any recommendations for that area ?

What month are you wanting to go?