Paradox - Well done, man. I'm glad to hear that you've lost some weight, as evident by the tightening of your belt. That's a fantastic start and you're already doing a lot better than many other people. I'm sure next year you will do a lot better. This might sound silly but... losing weight is like quitting smoking. You might quite the smokes for a while, then later you might return to them. But if you try again later, your chances of success increase. I know this for fact, because this is what happened to me when I first lost all my weight.
As for the relationships... you tried, you live and learn. You did a good job there as well. It's a shame to hear about the girl at work, but honestly, maybe it was for the best. A blessing in disguise, perhaps?
Good luck with the guitar, man. I hope you talk to your brother, sounds like a great place to start! I'd love to learn an instrument (seriously, I'd love to learn how to play the violin) but I guess I don't quite see it as a priority... I say that as in, yes I do have "time", but my priorities are different at this stage.
LinksOcarina - I saw your photo the other day of the dumbbells... I think that's excellent. Keep up the good work man, and good luck finding those new roomies! If I lived that way, I'd take you up on the offer.
My resolutions have mostly been positive, with a couple of downs.
-Drop weight (about 10kg/20Ibs): I dropped weight! Thanks to a new diet and training regime that was prescribed to me by a strength coach, I was able to drop body fat, gain muscle mass and strength and get stronger/fitter in general! Not gonna lie, but my diet slipped around July... but in saying that, I'm still in better shape than I was last year, around this time of the year. I'll be returning to this diet/training properly and strictly next year when I return from my holiday... so I'm going to give this one a tick.
-Get better at judo: I think I've gotten better. We're at a brand new training facility now for our club and it's amazing, it's so much better than our last one. On top of that, I competed at the Australian National Judo Championships this year and it's the best I've ever done. I'd like to try again for 2016. I'm giving this one a tick too.
-Draw more often: I haven't started drawing my own web comic, but at least I am still working with the GameRevolution crew on GR Strips, which I am really enjoying... I have more creative control, I'm trying out a lot of new techniques drawing-wise and I have lots of fun with it. I've even slightly changed my style of characters. On top of that, I've attempted to start a YouTube and Facebook page (Reckless Abandon) which encourages me to draw more often... so yes, I'm ticking this.
-Be a happier and more positive person: I won't lie, but this one has been a bit hit and miss. Earlier this year I started seeing a psychologist as I thought I was depressed, but it turns out I may have minor anxiety, as well as depression. Either way, these sessions have really helped. They have helped me learn how to better stand up for myself, understanding my rights, and how to deal and cope with particular things. That being said, this year has been tough and I've had a lot of issues, so I'm not as happy/positive as I'd like to be, but I do feel I have become a lot mentally/emotionally stronger. I might tick this one, but it's tricky because I'm not quite where I want to be yet in regards to this category.
-Learn to cook: Because of the diet I went on earlier this year, I learned how to prep all my own meals, which consisted of roasted chicken curry, rice and steamed vegetables. I can also cook pasta sauces, steaks and a few other goodies... so I got better! I'm ticking this.
-Help my girlfriend: I hope this doesn't sound egotistical but I'm giving this one a massive green tick. Earlier this year, I helped my partner secure a brand new job. She used to work in retail but she hated it. Her anxiety was troublesome there and she often had panic attacks and came home upset and depressed, it broke my heart.
Through my own work, I helped her secure a job at a local early childhood learning center (day care), where she is now an apprentice early childhood educator. Basically, she hangs out with kids all day, she plays with them, draws with them, reads to them, helps them learn... she loves it! She loves kids, and kids absolutely love her. She works with wonderful people, her new boss is so caring and understanding and ever since starting this job, she hasn't had one work related panic attack (at her old job, she had several per week).
On top of that, her new work place is paying for her university studies, meaning that as long as she does the study, my partner is getting further qualified through work, which can lead to promotions, job opportunities and work anywhere in Australia. She's happy, and so am I.
So... big green tick!
Like Paradox said, if you took the time to read this, I sincerely thank you. We should make a 2016 list, and I wish everyone all the best to their goals in 2016!
