On 2011

2011 is over and done with. As I write this, it has been completed for a good few hours. There is no more left. You, nor I, nor anyone else, can ever experience another moment of it, but its moments are currently at their freshest in our minds. So what better time to reflect on it? From my perspective, 2011 was actually pretty good. It was also the year I turned 30, but I choose not to dwell on that. It encompassed several themes which I will now explore in a word-type style.

Dubstep

Eh, I know. It's a well-worn word that's used to mean a wide variety of genres and you can get in a lot of trouble using it at all. But I do think that 2011 was Year of the Dubstep. I'm sorry, I really am.

This year I added many artists to my "currently playing" list that I wouldn't have thought possible. Skrillex, Noisia, Mord Fustang, Feed Me, Porter Robinson - previously inconceivable and not all entirely "dubstep" all of the time, but there you have it. I've grown to love those hard drops, the floor shaking from the weight of the bass and a grungy riff slapping me about the face. It has got to be cleverly constructed though - you can't just throw bleeps and wobbles in there and expect me to enjoy.

I've also continued to listen to more traditional band-based music as always, so I don't feel that my sensibilities are changing; simply evolving. They're my ears to break.

Health

I had never enjoyed sports and always had the belief that a sandwich was not enjoyed correctly without some accompanying crisps. It was this maxim which had caused me to slide into the "overweight" category for the majority of my 20s; a slow digression that wasn't understood until a few years ago when some friends of mine started playing squash and invited me along. Although I was terribly unfit I loved the game instantly and started playing regularly but, still not realising that my "love handles" were in fact Recaro love seats with extra padding and suspension, I balanced out this exercise with an intense array of doughnuts and other fried goods.

This year, that all changed when I realised I was going to turn 30 and be in the same situation. Thanks to another friend who convinced me to try it, I went along to a circuit-training session and started to see results within weeks. I also knocked the sandwich/crisp combination on the head, opting instead for home-made chicken salads and snacking on them throughout the day rather than gorging myself at lunchtime.

That plus additional squash games has meant that I've lost 44lbs (or 20kg, or 3st) in the space of 10 months. I feel better for it, look better for it and I have a much better squash game to boot. I've still got a bit to go, but if I've not reached my target by the summer of 2012 then frankly I need to have a word with myself. Bring on the next twelve months as far as this is concerned.

Creativity

Ever since my music-making machine broke back in 2010 (or was it late 2009?) I'd been waiting around until I could re-assemble it. I replaced my desktop machine with a laptop which was great for most things, but wasn't so conducive to using all the musical stuff I'd accumulated and so the recording I had been doing tailed off. As if by Christmas magic, just at the end of the year I discovered a number of open source softwares that would allow me to get back recording again. In total I only managed one full track in 2011, but I'm hoping for great improvement in this area.

On the bad side, although I had never stopped writing songs I did pause my visits to pub "open mike" nights, due to the gym sessions I was trying to avoid completely obliterating the goodness from. I should plan to get back into these now that I am better in the fat-to-flesh ratio.

This year (albeit very late on) I started blogging. I've been doing some writing in private for a while and wondered what it would be like to join the early 21st century. I've not discovered that yet, so I guess that's one surprise 2012 is keeping for now.

Work

I'll keep this one short because I like having a job but basically I love what I do and I love that I get paid to do what I love. It's not always perfect but it's pretty damned good and these days when I read the news I see so many people either unemployed or forced to do something they hate to get by, that I have to feel lucky.

Our team grew this year and we did some great work; none of it for any companies too evil for my morals to handle. You can't say fairer than that and so that is all I will say.

2012

I don't believe in resolutions; if you're going to make a change then it's possible at any time. If my weight loss had been a resolution I think it would have failed, but starting when I wanted to and not having any set time frame on it has meant that it's been possible in a pressure-less environment. I will however allow myself to set some goals:

• Visit more family and friends.
• Lose another 15lbs (sub-goal: do more walks - a great one to set just as it's getting colder).
• Record more songs (one every two months sounds reasonable).

Yes, that'll do nicely. And I've got 365 and a half days in which to do it.