It doesn’t seems like six weeks since I blogged about my reflections on 2010, which contained some personally important landmarks in my life. I’d like to take a different approach this time and look forward to 2012 rather than spend a lot of time looking back on a year which – for all sorts of reasons – was tough, extraordinary even, yet not as enjoyable. One reason why I have not blogged recently is because I have been absorbed in other matters and struggled to find the time to devote to writing (I can feel a new year’s resolution coming on here).
This is not to say some important things didn’t happen in 2011. I kept my job (which is positive), my wife lost hers in November and then was told she had got it back with a different organisation just before Christmas (negative then positive) and my little girl started school in September (life changing). Despite these things (and others), I will be quite glad to see the back of 2011 and look forward to a new year with optimism and hope.
Here are my main aims for the next year:
1. Keep working: a pretty obvious one. Need I say any more?
2. Get moving: next year I will be 37, and still appear to be one year younger than the average first time buyer (which is the same as last year). Although I have bought before, since moving to Bristol nearly two years ago we’ve been living in an old rented property on the outskirts of the city, which we have outgrown. Our self-build aspirations have been hampered by the lack of decent local plots to develop and our recent employment concerns completely halted our house-hunting for a while. But the new year starts differently to how this one was ending until a couple of weeks ago and our goals have shifted with it. There’s a bit to do before we get there, but home ownership is the main aim of 2012 for us.
3. Get noticed: despite recent challenges, or maybe even because of them, there is still a compelling story to tell about the work taking place to improve local communities and the lives of people living there. With good news seemingly in short supply (which I think says as much about the media as it does about what’s actually happening in the world), there’s an opportunity to buck the trend and spread some more positive messages about this important work. There are some interesting and genuinely exciting developments ahead, which are worth looking forward to.
Happy new year everyone. Whatever you get up to, I hope it’s what you want to be doing.
Enjoying reading your blog and good luck with these aspirations for 2012!
Cheers Jenny – see you soon no doubt!
Happy New year Year Ben. I have lots of challenges ahead of me this year, not least the arrival of another child into the fold, and returning to work with two little ones into a role that will prove to be even more challenging than previous years. We are on the market and looking to move ourselves, having similar challenges to you; we’ve talked about this and both blogged about it, me here; http://bit.ly/ryk9KZ (having trouble with embedded links this morning)
I am looking forward to seeing some more positive news for the ‘middle of the market’ this year, as that’s been seriously lacking thus far. FTBs need homes but there are hundreds of families stuck in their smaller family homes wishing to move into larger homes, but lack of finance and availability, coupled with stagnant wages means there are empty larger family homes being rented out to families, and /or ‘downsizers’ nicking them all for themselves as. Quite rightly, they want to downsize but not into a home so small they feel cheated from a lifetime of home-ownership.
I can hear the dulcet tones of my 3 year old so must dash. Have a great one mate and see you soon. E.
Thanks – and same to you. Having another child will be blast; looking forward to seeing you in the new year.