New Year’s Resolutions 2021

It was and is a strange year, 2020. Nevertheless, a lot of great things have happened for me personally. I have been given many good opportunities and therefore I could achieve almost all of my 2020 goals. So now, on these (for me) “Churchless” Christmas Days, just days away from 2021, it is time to write my New Year’s resolutions for 2021! And I hope that these will also inspire you to enter 2021 with a wish to make the world a better place.

One of 2020’s highlights was the publication of this Dutch book on autism, for which I wrote three chapters.

This year I’ll do it a little differently from last year – instead of writing sub-targets for each area of my life, I am now mixing up a long list of 100 things I would like to do in 2021. (Because crossing out items on lists is fun.) Will you join me in making your own list of 100 resolutions for the year(s) to come?

Before we start, many people told me that their resolutions often fail. That is a pity, bad for your self-confidence and unnecessary! In many cases it is due to a lack of “cognitive control”. Fortunately, neuroscience also offers tips on how to successfully change habits, and that’s what I wrote about in this blog.

So, without further ado, let’s start with our lists of New Year’s resolutions for 2021! Where shall we begin? A random internet search teaches us that most good intentions are about exercising more, losing weight, eating healthier, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking… and in general: taking care of less stress, more fun and more time for ourselves. Are there things in there that you can make concrete? For me, for example, I want to watch a film every week and exercise every day.

If you like, it is possible to formulate goals like these even more concretely, for example by adding film titles and a workout schedule, but for me this is enough (also because I am unsure of my karate training schedule due to the Covid regulations). Moreover, some things are hard to define in “SMART” terms, like my wish to continue to grow as a chorister in our Domcantorij, by improving my sight-reading, the steadiness of my voice, my blending, intonation, diction and balance within our choir, and learn to anticipate the rhythm/tempo of the conductor better. That is just something I keep working on, a “do” on its own, and a huge part of my musical journey.

New Year’s Resolutions 2021

1. Watch a film or series every week (and write about some of them).
2. Workout every day (hopefully, also karate will start again soon).
3. Play music every day.
4. Write something every day.
5. Continue to grow as a chorister.
6. Study Japanese twice a week.
7. Study Polish twice a week.
8. Learn an endangered (moribund) language.
9. Write and publish four articles about my #KingAlfred research.
10. Write and publish two articles about my Cyborg Mermaid research.
11. Write and publish four articles about my Inside the Autside research.
12. Write and publish four articles on feminist themes in Lover.
13. Write and publish four articles on budo in Zanshin.
14. Write and publish four articles on the intersections of autism and bisexuality in BWQ.
15. Publish a new blogpost once a week.
16. Write four reviews of museums/exhibitions and take pics with my plush museummuis.
17. Go on tour with our Domcantorij to the UK (most likely: Lincoln).
18. Work on a new project – around Japanese sea monsters – with Jolijn.
19. Moderate my new FB Group for Japan Fans in the Utrecht area.
20. Get out of my comfort zone and do more live singing on social media!
21. Fix my broken cello (aka buy a new bridge).
22. Create the framework for my own book on autism.
23. Draw a new self portrait every month.
24. Get 1K followers on my YouTube Channel.
25. Record two new songs for my album on which the ‘cello gives voice to various myth(olog)ical water women.
26. Record two new songs for my album with music for King Alfred.
27. When COVID is over, I wish to restart my training schedule for the martial arts. <3 And become better in karate, kobudo, iaido and kendo.
28. Record 10 guitar solo pieces for my project Home Strung.
29. Record weekly new videos for my project The Fipple Flutist.
30. Research and perform Anglo-Saxon music.
31. Research and perform Japanese music.
32. Record ten mermaid pieces for piano, like this one.
33. Write and publish two new articles on 19th century musical life in Utrecht.
34. Make a new planning video every week.
35. Help in organising the next Martial Arts Festival in Utrecht.
36. Learn how to play two different new instruments.
37. Get a new – lighter – reed for my clarinet and play some Klezmer.
38. Play and record some more harp musics.
39. Record more improvisations to support my research, such as this one for AtariWomen and this one about Tarkovsky’s movie Stalker.
40. Publish a scholarly article on musicology.
41. Add a professional Art & Design portfolio section to this website.
42. Give 10 paper presentations.
43. Continue with my budo study drawings.
44. Join a virtual challenge every month.
45. Cook myself some healthy meals at least trice a week.
46. Tune my beautiful Bechstein piano.
47. Finish two courses on Coursera.
48. Write and publish more about Tolkien and his work.
49. Write and publish more about games.
50. Buy a new computer and play five new games.
51. Record a new polyglot video once a month.
52. Work with brands and offer my services.
53. Publish four articles in Kelten magazine.
54. Publish two new entries in the Ancient History Encyclopedia.
55. Create some new ceramics.
56. Create something from stained glass.
57. Give another presentation at Old English Fun Time.
58. Two extra hours a week of tidying up old stuff in my house.
59. Send someone a letter or card once a week.
60. Follow two courses on Domestika.
61. Pass my A2 exam in Japanese.
62. Write out four traditional Dutch baking recipes.
63. Share more of my baking + dessert making @ my Insta.
64. Share more workouts and planking videos on social media.
65. Join four virtual kata cups.
66. Do suburi every day.
67. Have a meaningful conversation every day.
68. Join #Read21in21 and read books 21 minutes every day.
69. Learn more about First Nations / Native Americans and write about it.
70. Translate 10 (untranslated) Dutch poems to English.
71. Make four drawings in Adobe Illustrator.
72. Publish four new compositions.
73. Create four karaoke/play-along/backing tracks.
74. Sort out my clothes.
75. Tidy up my bedroom.
76. Play and record five new pieces for (practise chanter) bombarde.
77. Start a webshop with my T-shirt designs.
78. Bake a festive cake once a month.
79. Learn how to make French Meringue and “Hemelse Modder” (a Dutch variant of chocolate mousse).
80. Play and stream a piano recital for elderly people in a retirement home.
81. Plan my own writing retreat.
82. Record a podcast episode (for the Cultuurverkopers podcast or a new one).
83. Make a mermaid video.
84. Draw a cartoon.
85. Record some songs on the mandoline.
86. Record an “About Me” video for my YouTube.
87. Eat at the table and not in front of the screen.
88. Think about what (and who!) suits me and what doesn’t.
89. Pay more attention to friends and less to acquaintances.
90. Organise four fun events for my FB Group for Japans Fans.
91. Create a new Zine and distribute it.
92. Craft some new sparkling jewellery for myself (like these earrings).
93. Practise archery.
94. Go horseback riding.
95. Write a travel blog about my “Zeecation“.
96. Get (one of) my projects in a newspaper once more.
97. Play a real tune on my bagpipes and record it.
98. Play on my didgeridoo and record it.
99. Learn how to play handpan/steelpan.
100. Record live percussion for my compositions (instead of a sampled beat).