lynnbin

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Time changes everything. Or doesn’t change anything.

One of my challenges is to take a selfie a day for the whole year, which I have been faithfully doing and posting on Facebook. A friend of mine commented that I don’t appear to have aged since we last saw each other many years ago. I promptly compared a pic of me now to a photo from 25 years ago, and apart from a few wrinkles and a bit more flesh I can definitely see what he means.

comparison — Spot the difference… aged 14 vs aged 39

Which got me thinking… obviously I have got a bit fuzzier around the edges but have I really changed that much?

In the interest of science* I have rooted out a photo for (roughly) every 5 years… what do you think?

* not based on actual science.

20161027_221608 — About 1, so 1978 or so. I have fond memories of that carpet.

20161027_221546 — About 5-ish, so say 1982?

20161027_221311 — I was 10 here, so 1987. We loved that camper van.

20161027_221256 — Aged 15 with my niece Rachael and my dog Sadie, so must have been 1992.

20161027_221030 — Just before going to Uni so 1997.

1923443_510200108098_5834_n — Roughly 2002 ish.

10398923_512794129658_742_n — This was early 2008, when I was 30. Oops upside your head on the floor of Flares… what were we thinking?!

545290_10151016554322805_1063151177_n — Goodwood Revival 2012, so I would have been 35.

I have to admit that doing this has been a really interesting exercise. I have re-lived so many old memories and it’s made me want to re-connect with so many old friends. Each picture brings the memories flooding back and in most cases I can remember the whole night that surrounded that picture (who would have thought I would remember anything?!).

In this digital age where we always have our phone’s camera to hand and take multiple photos it’s hard to remember the times when we had to plan ahead to carry a camera around, and not waste the film on multiple shots. Unless you were near the end of a roll of film that you wanted to develop of course, and then it was pictures of the dog and trying to catch your mum unawares.

There’s nothing like flipping though an album and I think that I am going to get some of my digital pics printed out so I can flip through the books in my old age. One thing though; I wish I’d dated the pictures, I lose track of time and I find it hard to remember when some events were.

Why not try it? Dig out some old pics, and relive some memories. Maybe pick up the phone or send a message to an old friend and catch up on the news whilst reminiscing over the old times. I know I plan to.

Assignment overload…

So I’m one week in to my 40 things and I have made a start on quite a few of my challenges.

This is pretty good for me as I have a tendency to get distracted and never get round to anything.

2014-07-16-procrastinator

Those who know me, know that I am a bit of a procrastinator. Ok, I am a master procrastinator. I put everything off until the last minute – it’s even family tradition that I do all my present shopping on Christmas Eve with my Dad.

One of my challenges is to achieve Chartered status in the CII (the chartered insurance institute) which is about as good as I can get in my industry. I’ve been working on it for years; learn a huge topic, take an exam, rinse, repeat…

The problem is that I can never get started. I’d read the book the weekend before the exam, majorly panic about it, scrape through by the skin of my teeth, and swear blind I’ll be better prepared next time. And then not.

But I need to get it done by the end of the year and I’ve run out of exams so I need to do assignments, so what do I do? I have 9 months to complete the 3000 word essay. I start it the night before it’s due. Then I have a second topic, due 3 days later. Hadn’t even read the book. Cue me, mad panic, frantically learning about one of the trickiest subjects there is.

Anyway, I’ve managed it and submitted 2 assignments each of 3000 words, in a few days. Are they any good? I have no idea. But I swear I’m not going to leave my last 2 to the last minute.

Oh look, butterfly….

The beginning…

The challenge starts here

Image result for collect memories not things quote

So today I am about to start my 40th year and like any milestone, it has become a time of reflection for me. The old saying about not waiting for life to pass you by springs to mind and so I have set myself a series of goals, all to be achieved in the next 12 months, by my 40th birthday.

Think of it like a bucket list: who knows what might happen in the future so I want be be able to look back and say “I did that!”

I will be charting my progress here as well as sharing my thoughts along the way. Below are the 40 challenges I have set: some will be easy, some fun, and some no doubt will feel like a chore. Wish me luck as I aim to achieve all 40… before I turn 40 🙂

Keep a blog – Done!
Walk 500 miles – Done!
Raise £500 for charity – Done!
Take a selfie a day for a year – Done!
Perform 40 favours for friends – Done!
Perform 40 random acts of kindness – Done!
Visit every venue at Ceroc Surrey – Done!
Achieve Chartered status from the CII – Done!
Learn Calligraphy – Done!
Visit 2 non-Surrey Dance venues – Done!
Go to the Lincoln Xmas Market – Done!
Re-connect with 5 old friends that I’ve not seen in over 10 years – Done!
Play Phil’s rules of D&D – Done!
Knit something (not a scarf!) – Done!
Join the WI – Done!
Arrange a Presidents of BDS reunion – Done!
Have a Karaoke night – Done!
Do an Escape Rooms event – Done!
Learn sign language – Done!
Learn to do 40’s hair – Done!
Take singing lessons – Done!
Do a photoshoot – Done!
Treat the house to an upgrade/revamp – Done!
Perfect a Hula Hoop trick – Done!
Volunteer for the local community – Done!
Zip Wire at Snowdon – Done!
Learn dressmaking/alterations – Done!
Take a pilgrimmage to Austria to visit the home of the Chalet School books – Done!
See Bournemouth in the summer – Done!
Attend a festival, concert or gig – Done!
Sky Dive – Done!
Attend the Ballet – Done!
London Eye – Done!
Volunteer work with old people – Done!
Attend the Opera – Done!
Do a Flash Mob event – Done!
West Coast Swing or Lindyhop bootcamp – Done!
Meet Sir Patrick Stewart – Failed 😦
Fancy dress Party – Done!
Visit Las Vegas! – Done!

*Bonus* Do a Life Drawing Class – Done!