Just a few weeks to go before I can apply for my over 60 London Oyster card and get free prescriptions. Two stressful aspects of my life will no doubt remain stressful. I’ll still jump onto Twitter to complain about TfL and have challenges in getting my medication but I can console myself knowing that I’m not paying for the poor service.

I have thirty-seven ticks on my 60 for 60 list (see about) and I’m fairly confident that the majority will be fulfilled in the next few weeks. I’m in no doubt that I wouldn’t have done so much over the last year if I hadn’t put the challenge together. I have climbed mountains, gone to the ballet and opera, kayaked on the Thames, sang in Massaoke, completed one qualification and started another and read books that were outside my comfort zone. 

But I may not achieve my goal of 60 for 60. Some things have proved more challenging. Most of these are due to the pressures of time. Just not enough of it. For example, increasing my following on Instagram. I didn’t appreciate how much attention and the games that have to be played to achieve a good following. Unless this attention is paid it is followers in and followers out. I also wanted to master Pinterest but again this takes time which is rather elusive at the current time.

I have a goal of 32% body fat. But whilst I’m getting stronger (I’m a whisker away from my weight lifting goals) and I’m moving in the right direction it is proving challenging. My body is determined to cling on to its adipose.

But I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t complete my 60 for 60. Somethings will just take that little bit longer. One thing that I have learnt in the past year is that I can be too hard on myself. The pressure I put myself under last year (nothing to do with my 60 for 60) made me ill. There is a balance to be achieved in challenging ourselves enough to make life exciting and fulfilling but not so much that we damage our mental and physical health.

The start of 2019 was not a good one. Things are now improving and I’m not going to do anything that stops this. I’m going to be kind to myself and live my best life.