I don’t make New Years Resolutions. They’re too small. Quitting smoking, taking more excercise, doing something every day, these are small things. We can decide to do this sort of thing any day of the week. There’s no magic in New Years Day that makes these things easier – quite the reverse, in fact. You blow a New Year’s Resolution – well, everyone does that, don’t they? Yeah, so you blew it. Big deal. But making the decision on another day, well, then you’re only answerable to yourself, and if you can’t keep a promise you make to yourself, what’s wrong with you? No, New Years Resolutions aren’t for me.

Me, I plan the shape of my year. I pick a theme. I tie it all up with a bit of magic, and the year plays through. I’ve been doing this for a few years now. 1999 was all about putting myself back together. 2000 was the year for discipline. If I’d thought a bit more about those two, I’d have done something different with 2000, because I came out of it slightly fucked in the head. I spent 1999 re-assembling myself after a seriously fucking awful end to 1998, and having done that I then proceeeded to ignore my head in favour of The Work, which was just stupid – I had no idea who I was or what I wanted, and therefore had no idea what I was working toward, and working just for working, well, it taught me a few things, but ultimately, it’s just a bad idea. So 2001 was about getting to know myself better, introspection, and letting my headspace unfold a bit. And I think it’s worked. I’m happier and more together these days than I have been in a long time. Several of my friends have recently described me as one of the most well-balanced people they know. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but given the way I felt at the start of the year, things are obviously better.

2002? I’ll tell you next year.