connect

Traditionally the worst day of the year – the day that we all have to go back to work and face up to reality again, and our work colleagues! But actually it wasn’t too bad, and in fact I think I have done well connecting in a number of ways today. I’m going to list them in a slightly neurotic, obsessive way, because I find it quite hard to quantify…!

• Had a really nice chat with a random woman on the bus to work this morning
• Talked to all my colleagues, and felt that there was real warmth and affection there, reaffirmed that these are friends and colleagues. I’m very lucky!
• Emailed two friends (J + D) to arrange meeting them next weekend (on different days)
• Rang T to commiserate about being back at work, and to arrange to meet up on Wednesday
• Confirmed to G that this was my goal in 2009, to accept every single invitation no matter what, and to really put myself out there

So I think I did quite well for my first day amongst people again after being off work and then having a cold for the last week. This one is such a nebulous goal, but I want to make it work for me, and if I have to record every little thing I do towards it to show that I am making an effort, that that’s absolutely fine.

Well, I know it seems unlikely that anyone would need to ‘appreciate’ wine after New Year’s Eve. But something that I really want to do is to connect more, and that means cherishing family and friends, getting in touch with old friends, but also making new friends. I thought a wine appreciation class in January sounded low-key, no commitment and fun – and booze is involved! Plus it would be really nice to be a little less clueless about wine.

I find it hard sometimes to make new friends. I seem incredibly sociable and friendly, and I suppose I am, but I’m also shut off sometimes – I’ve very private and I have a lot of barriers in place; I want to make myself more vulnerable and more able to let other people in. I don’t find that easy, and as I get older it becomes harder.

Anyway, this course sounds fun – it’s once a week, and it’s only for 8 weeks, and it’s very cheap too (£48); I can enrol in a couple of weeks, and it starts towards the end of January.

I want to connect more in 2009 – I’ve been trying over the holidays, but I find it so hard when I’m working, and this is one of the most important things that I can do.

• Cherish my family and friends
• Send birthday and other occasion cards throughout the year
• Go out more – accept every social invitation
• Join a new club
• Take an evening class
• Reconnect with all old friends: regular emails/phone calls/meetings – make an effort
• Reach out more
• Take risks and do things