2023 review / 2024 plans

[duncs500]

Link to last year.

[V8Granite]

No need to look back, I only have 2 plans….

Fix my body, I fractured my kneecap, broke a bit of bone in my foot, torn shoulder muscles and trapped nerves in my left thigh. I intend to fix them all.

Get nicely set for what I believe will be a harsh few years. Broaden my shares and start investing much more. Open more savings account and generally be ready to jump on a forever home by 2025.

Dave!

Right shoulder fixed, left leg better but not fixed, kneecap all sorted, foot sorted but now my left elbow is giving me a lot of pain. It feels like the muscle is torn but it can’t be. Physio lady who fixed my shoulder is on the case in Jan.

Shares and investments are doing well, not a lot of money but a reasonable lump which is great.

Strength, weight loss all great. Marriage is better than ever and genuinely couldn’t be happier in that regard.

Kids doing great, it was hard work job wise but at home it’s better than it’s ever been with the family.

2024 I’m trying to run the biggest job the company I work for has ever had so am going for the hard sell. If it doesn’t happen and I’ve tried I’m fine with that but need to try.

Carry on fixing body, teaching my boys what I think they need to know to be young men and generally trying to enjoy the ride.

Dave!

[Beany]

Well, got a new job - which is pretty good. Comes with better pay, and better conditions - IE I've taken the time off between Xmas and New Year (after working every day of it last year thanks to rampant incompetence) and no-one has called me up to call me a usefull fat cunt. So that's nice.

The checkout lasses at Lidl still think I'm the bees knees, and now at least three of them will grin like mad when I approach, and two of them follow me around the shop chatting away if they see me. That's as close as I can be arsed with relationship stuff at the moment.

Plans for this year are to, well, not get in shape, but to lose a few inches off the waistline. I've been meaning to buy a rowing machine for weeks now and despite having the money for it, I've not quite got around to it. Maybe tomorrow.

Car plans involve generally tidying the car up and sorting a few minor mechanical bits, moving it on, and then looking for something that has more like 300-350hp, rather than 200-250bhp.

Otherwise, no other major life plans. Just trying to get away from being constantly on edge, and on a more even keel, which still hasn't quite happened yet - six years of hyper stress doesn't go away overnight it seems.

Well, job is still good - I'm now officially Head of IT. Although this year has been pretty stressful as a supplier fucked us over with massive price rises and threatening to shut down a service we were on, which forced us to move pretty quick in terms of migrating away from them. They backed down after all their customers told them to fuck off with that, but we maintained our plans and have now moved 60% of the services we had with them elsewhere - but it's not been easy. That's kinda affected the rest of the year really.

It didn't really hit me how much of a baptism of fire it's been this year for me and my (Effectively all new) team and how well we've all done, until I was doing reviews with them (And me with the MD), so I'm - surprisingly sincerely, for me - really proud of them and myself for pulling it off. It's still ongoing but we've made real strides in making the process less 'interesting ' than it was earlier in the year, now it's just donkey work.

The checkout lasses at Lidl have rotated so now there's only one who laughs at my stupid comments, and another who grins a lot when she see's me and then goes a bit coy

I didn't get in shape - in fact I put on weight. Lots of working late means lots of takeaways and too much skipping exercising, ending up not doing any the last six months, whoops. So I plan to get back on that in the coming year. I don't really care too much for looking ripped etc, but again, losing a few poun....sigh, stone now, would be quite nice. Would make buying jeans and shirts easier for a start, which is far more important to me.

Car plans are still the same, except now the 330i is in a bit of a state so it'll probably go for a song. Don't mind too much, I've basically lost interest in it honestly.

Last year turned into 'boring hedonism' (not much exercise, too much bad food, not saving etc), so this year I probably should draw a line under that, and start getting my life a little more in order.

[Zonda_]

Start new job next week. Continue with fitness targets, 3 pounds of loosing 2 stone. Change car as commute is going to be be motorway miles so diesel is on the cards.

[Jobbo]

I don't think I've posted in one of these since the end of 2019 thread. Fuck. Bit of catching up to do then...

Work: the COVID traffic is definitely a distant historic memory now and I've been getting a bit annoyed commuting so far. So in the last quarter of 2022 we found a second office, which is up and running from today. Now I have a shorter commute (for the days I'm in the new office) and we have the space to expand. And that has been the story of the last year/18 months; trying to find decent employees and not being able to. I'm keen to be in a position to take on the decent people who are made redundant by big firms in response to the tales of recession; half our business is fairly counter-cyclical anyway but since we've been turning work away during 2022 we still have the business need.

House: still not started the extension yet. That's definitely on the cards this year, if I can get any time when I'm not thinking about work to get on with it. I'd already toned down the grand design a bit to something which will give us as much space in a less elaborate way, and therefore cost less to build. After thoroughly enjoying the cheap above-ground swimming pool in 2022 because I got a heat-pump for it, I would really like to create a slightly better space and access to it with some garden landscaping; realistically that can't happen until the extension is done so probably more a 2024 plan, but it's down here to make me get on with things in 2023.
Also house related, I stopped renting out my old house in late 2021 so it's been ours to use in 2022 while decorating etc to Airbnb. It's ideal for that purpose, the thatched roof has been mostly renewed in 2022, I've had a gardener coming regularly last year doing the outside and I've furnished it appropriately. Just want to replace the front door which has some rotten bits and it'll be ready to take paying guests.

Family: my stepdaughter (last child living at home) went to university in September 2022 so most of the time it's just my wife and me at home now. That suits us; my wife missed her for half the term and is now keen for her to go back next weekend, so she's definitely appreciating her leaving the nest. Her still living with us was part of the reason we haven't moved house; the others are that I like our house and we haven't even really started improving it yet; I've been looking for a couple of years and not seen anything I like even ramping up the price to over £1m, and I'm pleased we didn't commit to a mad mortgage to move anyway. Which in a circular way feeds back to the new office.

Holidays and animals: we now have 12 cats, 2 dogs and a tortoise living at home. We're not planning any more cats though we're keeping two of the fermale munchkin kittens born last March intact so we can potentially breed some more in future. They do get in the way of holidays, so we have found a nice lady who will come twice and day and sit with them, feed them, clean out the litter trays etc while we go away. Ignoring the cost of so many staying at a cattery, we probably wouldn't be able to get them all in the car to drop them off without multiple journeys. I would prefer the ability to just disappear off on holiday, or to a nice hotel for the weekend, but I do like the cats. The two rescue kittens we got have fitted in so well and seem so happy that I guess overall it's not too bad having to make arrangements well in advance for holidays. And my work is just as much of a hindrance now anyway.

Plans: get extension done, get Airbnbing, change my wife's car (a topic for the Cars forum later), take some holidays, get some extra employees and grow my business. Not much, really

ETA: forgot to mention that it was good to meet Gavster in person for the first time in 2022, and I want to do some slightly further afield cycling (Wiltshire and Wales) in 2023. Plus there are a few of us round Cheltenham and Gloucester so maybe arrange a forum drinks thing...?

My wife said to me before Christmas how awful 2023 had been. That was after we had just lost Hazelnut but it’s interesting to see how people view the same things; I thought 2023 was fantastic despite losing a much loved cat.

Much of what I wanted to do in 2023 I have done. It feels like 5 minutes since posting my plans for the year. Still a bit slow recruiting but I’m finding the right people and made one mistake with an assistant for me who didn’t pass his probation. But I have an experienced assistant joining in April who I think is just right,

After a few COVID years it was lovely to go away a few times in 2023; waking up on my 50th birthday in Gibraltar looking out to Africa was perfect and I relaxed more at the hotel pool than I had for some time.

Bought new cars for both my wife and me, which I’m still very satisfied with.

Found a new house to buy in September which will shorten my commute, give us more space and be somewhere we should never want to move from. I had hoped to complete the purchase before Christmas but we’re now looking at being in around February. It was partly loss of a cat that made my wife think about moving and while I love our current place, I really can’t be arsed living through an extension project. So I showed her the Rightmove ads I’d already been looking at.

Biggest failures of 2023 have been not cycling much at all - I did just get into Wales by crossing the river Wye in July but that’s not quite what the plans for the year meant And not seeing friends much; work has been successful but I’ve been a bit devoted to it and enjoyed winding down at home when I’ve had the chance. Hope I can remedy that in 2024, and we really ought to do that Cheltenham/Gloucester forum drink before I move 20 miles up the road.

Overall I feel very fortunate; my 2023 feels like it has been a lot better than for many others. I don’t think 2024 should be too different but maybe 2025/2026 will be interesting as I have to make some bigger business decisions. Which I shall plan for in 2024 to mitigate risks.

[Beany]

Yeah, I suppose I should point out that despite me grumbling a bit above, 2023 has been one of the better years I've had for...a good long while actually. It's far from perfect but I've not been constantly on edge to a degree where I permanently feel sick, I've felt that when I'm not working, I'm actually not working, I have staff I can trust to look after 'my' (our!) network, and I actually elected to take annual leave without being forced into it by everyone else this year, and I didn't even work during it.

So '23 has been pretty good for me honestly, despite the busyness, car problems and getting fatter of it all.

[Gavster]

This thread is fantastic for accountability! I made big progress in all of my goals, 2022 was an infinitely better year by all measures. I sacked off TWO companies that I was co-founder/director of, to focus on my own work.

Work

• Won my biggest/most significant contract since changing careers back in 2015
• Started with 31k TikTok followers in Jan, ending the year with 84k
• Then found out how much I can charge for influencer marketing content

2023: Work fewer hours at a higher rate. Land 3 decent new contracts and reach 100k followers in Q1.

Home

• Won the first hearing with my neighbours/lessees. They've applied for leave to appeal (despite being denied at the hearing) so hopefully their application fails again. Assuming they continue to deny access to a surveyor, we could be serving a section 146 notice to commence forfeiture proceedings in the first couple of months of 2023.
• Did some home improvement work
• Got rid of my lodger so have some privacy again

2023: Wrap up the neighbour disupte (largely up to the courts) and then move to a warm flat with floor-to-ceiling windows, a large balcony/terrace and a good view across London.

Love
Still with aforementioned ex, so should stop calling her that it’s going rather well too, because I found someone weird/weirder than me. In fact, I’d say it’s the first relationship which feels like it’s getting stronger with time.
2023: Same direction of travel

Health
Started the year as a gymnast with a broken foot. Lifted weights most of the year. Got bored. Now a runner who also lifts, seems to be a good combo.
2023: Treat running as a long term project (e.g. five years), starting by doing 3 or 4, 5k races this year.

Money

• Day rate increased massively during 2022
• Income also went up a lot, from a very low 2020/21 baseline.
• Paid off some debts, also accrued some new ones. Comme ci comme ça

2023: Double my income.

Personal
Making changes to my friendship group due to some slightly peculiar dynamics which are a hangover from my mental state a few years ago.
Spent some time working with a cognitive hypnotherapist at the end of the year, which delivered notable impact in a time-bounded set of sessions. I was very impressed compared to other therapeutic modalities.
2023: Have a proper holiday, focus on my hobbies and getting more enjoyment from life outside of work

All of the goals for 2023 are achievable, because they're the next step in the direction of travel that I've been working on for the last few years. If I keep pushing, or push even harder, then they'll happen. There's nothing new to start anymore, thank god

I exceeded some 2023 targets and completely failed at others

Wins: Reached around 250k followers across all social media platforms, landed some decent work contracts, and very close to getting a book deal. Went rallying with SJ which was good fun, performed a couple of stand-up comedy gigs, absolutely nailed my first two triathlons and ended the year with a Christmas no.1 single. Also, I ran a 5k in Hyde Park today and did a new age-grade PB which is awesome

On the downside, my relationship ended recently <sigh>. The triathlon training really interfered with my creative energy too, using all the energy that my brain also needs to spark new ideas, and it's this creative part of my brain which pays the bills. Also I didn't take a holiday, at all, which is not good.

I discovered that my personality fits ADHD/ASD symptoms like a glove, which would also explain many of my ongoing challenges around work, relationships and money. It's really useful to have that knowledge when trying to create solutions.

The neighbour dispute is also reaching closure, we're waiting for a court date for the possession hearing, it could potentially finish in the first half of 2024. I'm expecting to release a volcano of tension when that's finished, it's been a constant source of stress and negativity hanging over my home for over four years and only God knows how I've held that together.

The future:
Honestly facing a dlemma. I love the triathlon training and competition. Its brought a lot of happiness, challenges, community and new friendships into my life this year. The local triathlon club has turned out to be a really great bunch of people. I'm also rather good at it. But it doesn't pay, and it consumes a lot of time and energy. I'm considering less training and doing some volunteering and coaching instead.

Publishing a book has been a long term goal, so I really need to focus on that, now the opportunity is in front of me.

Making more content, and monestising it, should also be an aim too. However, there's a slight shadow over that one. You see, while it's a great way to earn good money for the time invested, that income is also tied to my own ability to produce viral content, which is a highly capricious mistress that I have very little control over. Also, platforms are unreliable and change all the time. For example, I should be getting £1k-2.5k a month from TikTok, but I don't, because of a glitch in their software which they are struggling to fix. My most stable income this year has been as a social media consultant, rather than as a creator.

If anything 2024 is about creating financial stability in my life and prioritising things that genuinely make life a happier place.

[Explosive Newt]

God damn it I'm still fat.

[NGRhodes]

My aim for 2024 is to not spend £2k on car servicing/repair and seeing it getting flushed down the drain 1 week later when said car gets written off

[DeskJockey]

This year has been interesting, as per the 22/23 thread.

The job change has been quite the turnaround, making me realise how institutionalised I'd become in my old role/company, and how much I miss "knowing what to do". I'm getting there, but would like things to move quicker. It is a very different, much less mature, environment, which is the opportunity. Also have to be in the office twice a week, which is both annoying and good. I dislike commuting, but once there it is useful and a productive way of lining things up for the days I work from home.

Family is well and good. Kids are happy and doing well. Just waiting to find out where the eldest will end up for secondary school. Wife works too much, but that's an inevitable part of what she does. We're trying to figure out how she can reduce the extra hours down towards something better.

We had some good holidays, and while being between jobs I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering at the school. Spent a day a week reading with children, and it was very rewarding, especially with the older ones. Managed a few small wins by getting some reluctant readers to put some energy into reading longer books.

I kept to a consistent exercise regime (won't be challenging Gavster or Ascender any time ever, but good for me), running every week, and began adding some strength building into it. All that stopped after the snip, and it was only last week that things finally hung (ahem) like they should, so will be picking up again. I can feel old pains coming back because I've not been moving enough.

Biggest plans for the coming year is restarting the house hunt. My probation finishes in January, and we'll start doing something more than just looking on apps then. I'd like to be in by the summer, but time will tell.

[RobYob]

Well, have now ticked over a year back in Aus and have been thoroughly reminded just how craptacular Melbourne weather is. Funnily enough it's now this time of year everyone is missing being in the UK with the appropriate atmosphere for Christmas, had there been a white Christmas back in Norfolk the Mrs would have been on a plane back.

Fitness and interlinked Karate took a huge step backwards, was unable to find the equivalent club in both specific style and attitude to replace the UK one, spent three months looking and trying clubs then six months giving one a proper go before pretty much writing the whole thing off. Kids got demotivated too so they've found different sports to pursue. Very frustrating as we were all about six to nine months away from Black Belts had we remained in the UK.

Oh and due to spectacular idiocy on the part of our UK accountant, our UK bank and HMRC we've "lost" about £6k that while in theory should be recoverable seems a very long way away from being returned to us.

2023. Hang in there at work. Join a gym. Stop playing quite so much Fortnite, write a book, fix my workshop, make some art, renovate the toilet and drive to the desert.

Oh and maybe get to Unzippy's BBQ joint which is still only a 20min drive away.

Good excuse to review the year, look back, and vent.

Positives – I finally bought a e()bicycle, managed 3 rides to work before getting Covid…

Negatives – Well 2023 can absolutely F. R. O.

Cruising along until June when Dad suddenly died, massive heart attack from undiagnosed hardening condition. Stuck thinking that 75 years old is “ok” it’s not “young” but thought he had much longer with us. Having moved back from the UK end of ‘21 we were still only seeing them out on the farm every few months and video chatting once a week. Family all assumed mum being much older and apparently frailer that she would depart first.

Have spent six months being sad, annoyed, melancholy, irritated, and disappointed in him and myself and the world in general. Mum’s world is absolutely destroyed, quite clear now that her growing quietness and unwillingness to travel away from the farm was increasing dementia and having got her into an independent living appartment in the city near my brother and I, she has just after Christmas had to move into a hospice. Absolutely gutting to rob her of wide open spaces and her garden and freedom but it’s the only safe course of action. Wracked with guilt whenever I think on her being by herself amongst strangers. She loves seeing her grandkids but I don’t think I want to be taking them there more than a couple of times a week. The light at the end of the tunnel is quiet dim at the moment.

Got Covid again at the start of December, that sucked, gave it to the rest of the family which sucked more and were it not for the utter clusterfuck of in-laws completely screwing up the Mrs’ Christmas plans even more than I managed I’d be well and truly in the doghouse.

Put on a little weight, felt like I lost a lot of strength, developed a cough for three months after a horrific hayfever season, needed inhalable steroids in the end and now have to puff Ventolin nightly.

Still waiting for idiot accountants, banks and HMRC to return our £6k

Didn’t write a book but at least got a 150 page report done, although eight months late.

Still haven’t made it to Unzippy’s BBQ joint.


2024, hang the fuck in there, ride to work a lot more, drive to the desert, renovate toilet.

[DeskJockey]

That's a tough year, sorry to read that. Were there no positives? Might seem minor by comparison, bit they count.

[GG.]

I'm sad to hear so many people having a tough time. Not sure whether this is just part of getting older, whether these events just clustered abnormally or I / we are focusing on them with a particular spotlight.

Anyway, for me personally it seems looking back that 2016 (son born) to 2019 (pre-covid) was a particularly good period. Every year since then has had something awful happen - this year we lost my father in law, last year my grandad, 2021 a stolen car and car accident and 2020 was obviously Covid - every 12 months seems to have me accumulate another health malady and next year's headaches are already on the horizon - even just those I know about.

That said pre-2016 also had several years of shit times one way or another so maybe these things just run in cycles of cruel, lumpy probabilities...

[RobYob]

That's a tough year, sorry to read that. Were there no positives? Might seem minor by comparison, bit they count.

You're right DJ, plenty to be grateful for, kids doing well in school, work kept me out of trouble and had some fun trips.

As for driving, well my old man's Volvo 144 probably needs a run at some point, although Evo it ain't!

[Nefarious]

All a bit predictable for 2020, given circumstances.
Work-wise, not much doing on the contract front, although a couple of minor kitchen/bathroom jobs paid for this years racing. On the letting front it's been a case of damage limitation - at the beginning of first lockdown, I mentally wrote off £15k, but am now very pleased to report that, thanks to my tenants mostly being decent human beings, it was nothing like that bad. One slight annoyance was the latest purchase falling through in March, and failure to find an alternative in a rising market. Still hoping for a softening of demand in Q1 2021 to bring prices back down within reach without the need for more financing. Still, I can't really complain about rising prices with a dozen properties already in the bag.
Racing was errr...emotional. The club cancelled our season, and I kinda ended up being the custodian of single-seater racing in Scotland. Learned a lot about the politics of the game, and at least got to go racing a bit, even if mechanical misfortune kept any decent results out of reach. And then, of course, there was Colin's accident. Still remains to be seen what impact that will have on my long term future in racing.
Climbing has been a bit of an unexpected high. I really expected that months out of the game would have busted me back a couple of grades at least, but I obviously did something right during lockdown, and I returned to find my upper body strength the best its ever been, and that elusive 7a realistically within reach.
Hovercraft and boats have seen a very poor showing this year, with absolutely zero progress on either front. I think we'll be moving to get the Red Bastard sold on ASAP, but the boat should hopefully see some action this year, even if just in support of the e-boat project.

As far as goals for 2021 are concerned, its a bit difficult to know what's realistically going to be possible.
I'd like to get another flat bought ASAP, then more of the same on the work front.
I'm already in fairly hardcore training for the next assault on the climbing wall, but that's all reliant on my motivation holding up long enough to see the climbing centres open again...we'll see.
Racing-wise, it'll be another tough year fighting to keep the championship alive. Been toying with the idea of doing a couple of arrive-and-drives just to have a go at a different flavour of motorsport in preparation for my eventual retirement. Again, will just play it by ear.
Basically, the aim overall is for a holding position across the board, and if I can snaffle a couple of little wins along the way, that'd be nice.

Looking back, 2021 lockdown took a bigger toll on my year that the 2020 one did - most of the first 5 months of the year could pretty accurately be described as the "holding pattern" I predicted at the end of 2020. Domestic stuff, various crafty projects, and physical training. All kinda fine, but looking back, I think the semi-isolation and lack of bigger-ticket achievement took a bit of a toll on me.
The other big feature of the year was the renovation of the house in London. Very different from the way I'm used to working in that I wasn't there in person and was managing the project between three different contractors remotely. It was a big mistake and really should have put my crew in a van and just committed to staying down there for a month. As it was, it felt like I worked harder, was more stressed, and the project took 3 months instead of 1 and costs spiraled to about double what they should have been. Lesson learned. If you want a job doing properly....
Elsewhere around work, I had a nice 6-week contract job that paid the year's racing budget, added two new properties to the portfolio (even though my predicted softening of the market never happened), and passed the threshold where some of the property stuff needs to move into a limited company. All fairly solid progress.
Racing-wise, it's been a funny old year. I had previously been running the Formula Ford show in Scotland, but after my friend Colin's accident in November 2020, I took the very conscious decision that I didn't want to be the man in charge. Enough work had been done in 2020 that I was able to hand the whole shooting match over to the racing club with a list of promises to ensure that we got a full season of racing in 2021. My own season was fairly poor - dogged by a mystery damper problem that it took all year to identify - but somehow managed to secure 2nd place in the championship for the second time.
The biggest event of the racing year was getting involved with the Minis (thanks Scott!). I was initially a bit reluctant, but it seemed like a good idea to have a plan-b in case the Formula ford situation deteriorated. As it turns out, it's been an enormously fun and satisfying new challenge, culminating in the Race of Remembrance, which was one of the most eye-opening, intense and rewarding things I've ever been involved in. The fact that we're now a 2-car team with plans for a full season of sprint races and multiple endurance events speaks volumes. Boat and hovercraft have both now gone to make room for more racecars!
Health and fitness has, on paper, been fantastic. Being stuck in the house for so long, general adherence to a good diet and re-discovering my push bike got me to the best physical shape of my life somewhere around August/September, which I'm really pleased about. However, the lack of climbing opportunities and the ongoing absence of a decent partner has meant that all that training hasn't actually translated into any measurable results - which was the original aim of the exercise!

So, plans for 2022.
Business-wise, I'm back in growth mode. Now my daughter has her heart set of 7 years at medical school, some fairly big demands on my income are on their way, so I'm going to get my head down now to add an extra £30ish-k to the rental revenue.
Racing-wise, it's going to be busy! Full season of FF, 2/3 of a season of Modsports in the Minis, and 3-ish endurance events.
Health and fitness-wise, same as previous years - head down now for the next couple of months with a view to really getting back on the climbing horse by March/April.
And, you know, just try and be a bit happier

Yeah. Interesting to look back at the optimism of January 2022.
All in all, the year has been pretty shit, and my efforts are really best described as "damage limitation".
Mrs. Nef's mental health took a bit of a nosedive early in the year, resulting, inevitably in a knock on effect on me. The depression has been pretty crushing at times, and for the first six months at least, I really struggled to muster the fucks to even do the bare minimum to keep the ship afloat. Somehow though, June/July marked a bit of a turning point, and I spent the second 6 months slowing dragging my sorry arse out of the hole.
The whole situation hasn't been helped by the destruction of my normal happy escape place - racing. I watched the Scottish Formula Ford championship get run into the ground and then abandoned, marking a sad and untimely end to something I really loved. All good things, and all that, and at least I got a decent price for the car. Mini racing went some way to filling the hole left by the FF, but it was a technically challenging first year for the white Mini and much hair was torn out in frustration in the workshop. Positively, Scott ran really well in the blue car (bringing home a class win for the championship) and we seemed to finally get to grips with the white one's issues just as the season drew to a close, and the car is now fairly well placed for a more successful 2023.
Work-wise, things have been fairly quiet, and I'm glad that I've built up enough fat in previous years that I've been able to take my eye off the ball for a bit without disastrous consequences. One new property was added to the portfolio, and a couple of smaller contract jobs just about kept everything ticking along.
With climbing, I finally found myself a strong partner - she's a german ex-pro football player, so really strong in the fitness department and really well motivated, and we've made some really good progress in the second half of the year. Really hoping to build on it through 2023 and hopefully get back to the level I was at in 2019.
The strongest and most positive events of the year have been delivered by my wonderful daughter, who has overcome her own challenges, smashed her highers, and managed to secure herself an interview at Cambridge (went well, awaiting results later this month). Seeing her mature into a highly capable, well-rounded and thoughtful adult is truly the proudest experience of my life.

So, plans for 2023:
Work-wise, it's going to be very much dependent on what happens with interest rates, but for the moment, I'm hitting the ground running with a big contract job (2 month bare-brick restoration, starting day after tomorrow!). Hoping to be able to add another flat to my tally, and buy somewhere in whatever university town the little one ends up in to get her started in the business as a side hustle.
Racing-wise, my big focus for the white Mini is to prep the best possible car for Race of Remembrance 2023, and I'll see what sprint opportunities come up along the way. I'm desperately missing the single-seater stuff, so I'll also be looking for some kind of opportunity to scratch something close to that itch through the year (maybe a couple of pay-to-play drives, maybe something completely mental - watch this space )
But, yeah, just more generally, like I said at the beginning of 2022, try and be a bit happier...

I think the best thing that can be said about 2023 was that it was better than 2022, which really was a low point.
Work has been a bit of a game of two halves. I started the year *hard* - that 2 month restoration job turned into a 3 month job, and we ended up being the go-to handymen for the whole street. I think I worked 7 days a week until late march and things didn't really calm down until June, when I moved back onto doing another new one of my own. When that was finally finished, I took a bit of a break for the summer. The post Autumn jobs have been a bit annoying - mostly lots of odd jobs for little old ladies, which might make you feel a bit warm and fuzzy but don't actually bring in much cash. Gonna have a long hard chat with my site manager over the next couple of days and make a plan for the new year - he's not getting any younger, so I think we need to start being a bit more selective and a bit more streamlined about things going forward.
Racing and just about everything else, has taken a bit of a back seat to work. I think, if I'm honest with myself, that 2022 took a bigger toll than I was willing to admit, and I probably threw myself into work a bit too hard as a distraction from it all.

So, plans for 2024.
Find a better balance. Work at a sensible pace. Spend a bit more time on fun stuff. As always, try to be a bit happier...

[Barry]

Another fifty candidate here, my plan is lots of events rather than one specific large one.

I'm not one for filling these in, as the above from last year illustrates nicely

That said, rather than one big bike trip I managed to attend three Euro WEC (motorcyline endurance races) - Le Man, Spa and Paul Ricard.

Also did the usual long day trips/odd weekend in the UK (last one in Kielder area in Sept) before the back pain I was feeling for a few months kicked into overdrive by a near accident on the way to work in Sept, lost the front end on the bike and slammed my right leg down to catch it, which turned into bad enough back pain/sciatica to render me house bound for a week, and seriously hampered even now. Had an MRI two weeks ago, waiting to see what that reveals so I can get it sorted and hopefully be back up and running before Spring starts proper.

As you all know, I/we lost a good friend in YK this year, to add to that another friend was in hosp with ruptured aorta this month, another been told he's stage4 C, another marriage up in smoke, DaveS losing his dad, and a friend who's daughter has to be in court in a few months to face her alledged molester. I won't be sad to see 2023 go for the above reasons.


As for the year ahead, more bike trips, and hoping my job doesn't go away (been loads of layoffs in Game Dev this yr - not at Tt thankfully).

Goes without saying but getting this back issue kicked into touch and getting fit again is the main immediate goal..

[Gavster]

Anyway, for me personally it seems looking back that 2016 (son born) to 2019 (pre-covid) was a particularly good period. ...

Agreed. That period was a ball, I was running around having all kinds of fun. I remember feeling on top of the world at the end of 2019. Covid and the years after really seem to have taken the wind out.

However, I also believe that we go through cycles and these rough years will give way to some banging years in the near future too.

[Explosive Newt]

Lots of things to be thankful for this year.

Rebecca and I bought a house together. And it’s really rather nice. A few more bits of furniture needed and some other odds and ends but we are very happy here.

I’m in what is basically my dream job. I spend half of my time doing interesting medical work and half doing the research I want to do. I have the privilege of calling myself a University of Cambridge academic. On top of this I get to be a college fellow and all the dining, finery (and responsibility) it incurs. On the minus side, this job is not forever: it’s whole purpose is to set me up to be a consultant and a research leader and I feel the pressure of reaching the necessary milestones and the end growing nearer.

The sad part being, my mother’s health continues to decline and I wonder if she will see another Christmas. Or, in some ways worse, she will wind up frailer, more dependent on care and putting more strain on my father.

[Simon]

Looking back at my wish-list for 2023, it basically said 'improve our financial situation'

I've been working on that, but more on that in a bit. Seems that '23 can mostly be summed up in achievements. We brought new life into this world with the birth of our daughter in July. Her and my son have bonded amazingly. He's a brilliant big brother and loves her to bits. Looking back it was so definitely the right thing to do. No more though, despite the wife saying that if we had more money she'd like a third. Sod that!

In June I passed my AWS certifications, and last week passed my Azure ones too. Maybe I'll do Google certs in the new year just for the LOLz. Yeah, I'm pretty much bored of work now, but it's paying the bills. The more it feels like I'm phoning it in, the better my reports seem to get at work. There's even talk of promotion in the air. Whatever.

Deb did her life in the UK test in November and we've just finished her Indefinite Leave to Remain application, so we should hear about that in the coming weeks/months. 4 visa applications in, what with solicitors fees, NHS fees, visa fees etc, I'm in for about £20k for the whole lot. And we've still got citizenship to go. Anyone who things coming to the UK is cheap or easy can FRO.

So, money. I've never wanted to retire doing what I do now. I'm pretty much done with IT already, after nearly 27 years, but have never been able to put my finger onto what would replace it. This time last year I knew our daughter was on her way, so I thought a lot about the next few years and what it needed from me and it really focused my mind. We will need our larger forever house, both cars will need replacing soon, we need to buy a place in Brazil for my mother-in-law (and for us to stay in when we go over there), we'd like a place in Portugal too, and of course there's the usual children costs. Finally I want to retire in 10 years or so, and my friend has a venture I'd like to invest in, and I want to do all of this off my own back and without falling back on an inheritance or two, so for new year '23 I created a commitment to myself to get our second source of income flowing. Those of you who are really observant will have noticed that my post count has dropped significantly this year and that's because I'm working hard on upskilling my new income. I'm not saying what it is yet, but if all goes to plan I'm looking at an exit to 'employment' within the next 12-18 months and then a few years maxing out my new income stream(s). And no, it's not crypto.

So, 23 was largely a win, but as I noted elsewhere it feels like my parents (or at least my Mum) are really getting old. Dad is 80 soon, yet only just wound up his practice and retired so seems fit enough, but Mum's been through the wringer a bit of late and is a bit blind and very slow on her feet. Poor old Mum. So that worries me, but doesn't seem like there's anything I can do to help them.

Hopefully '24 will bring a bit of better health for her and I can start to make them feel proud of me whilst they're still around.

[Jobbo]

Good luck with that Simon - giving yourself 10 years to buy a forever home in the SE plus two more houses, then retire - while your kids are still at school - sounds particularly ambitious! Hope the bank job comes off