Optimistic October: Day 31 - What Gives You Hope for the Future?

It's the end of the month, the end of Optimistic October, and it's Hallowe'en...

And what is scarier, I ask you, than...

But anyway. Rules are rules:

Friends. I have a small (ideal) number of excellent friends.
Science. It's awesome and if we do it properly we can solve all sorts of problems.
The belief that most people, deep down, want to be better.

Optimistic October: Day 30 - Purpose

I'm... supposed to have a sense of purpose?

I'm never quite sure what things like this mean, but that just gives me an opportunity to define it however like, doesn't it?

I guess a "sense of purpose" is when you feel like you're doing something that has a point to it, and I'm feeling that this is more of an external thing than an internal one: giving something back to the world, rather than making personal achievements.

I feel most like I have purpose when I'm teaching, so a goal set in response to today's challenge should probably have something to do with that. Generally, my goal is...

To be the best educator that I can be.

... but that's not exactly measurable. Part of my desire to undertake postgraduate study was so that it could provide some structure in working towards this goal, so I'm going to work damned hard on completing that as well as I can. As well as this, and at least equally important, is my network of educators that I keep tabs on via Twitter. I don't engage as much as I probably should with the broader teaching community, but I learn a lot, keep up to date, and am forced to think (and re-think) about various aspects of teaching and education. It is genuinely an excellent tool through which to build a learning network on various themes.

Optimistic October: Day 29 - Problem?

Perspective is everything.

I have far too much to do. I'm working on a new perspective for that and will get back to you just as soon as I am able. Please leave a message after the beep*.

* With some ideas about how to find a new perspective on that.

Optimistic October: Day 28 - This Week's Plans

It's important to have goals! This week is going to be a busy week so my top priorities are as follows:

Prepare for my (working) weekend away.
Do some reading for my assignment, making notes and noting references.
Lay the groundwork for next week's work.
Keep tabs on my mental state, and make sure I take the time to switch off for a little while each day.

Optimistic October: Day 27 - Be Kind to Yourself

I really need this one at the moment. I'm a bit behind on, well, everything, and I keep having to stop me beating myself up (not least because it takes time away from doing something productive).

I'm trying to take day 26's advice. And day 24's. Day 21 as well.

Anyway... I'm off to work on day 20.

Optimistic October: Day 26 - Same as it Ever Was

This question might not work for every situation, but it illustrates something which is, I think, a good habit to get into.

A question I (try to remember to) ask myself when I start worrying about something is...

Can I do anything about it?

If the answer is "no," then it's a moot point and not really worth worrying about (and the problem now turns into "how do I chill myself out about it?")
If the answer is "yes," (and that means I must have at least some idea of what I can do) then the problem turns into...

Should I do it?

If the thing that you can do is easy and less stressful than the problem you're worrying about, then just do it. Why wouldn't you?
If the thing that can be done is more difficult or more stressful than the problem, some of the questions I ask myself when deciding whether taking (or avoiding) any given action is worth raising my blood pressure over include:

Will anybody to die?
Will anybody be subject to specific torment, anguish, pain or discomfort?
Will I get into trouble?
Is it really my responsibility?
Is this more important than other things that require my time and/or energy?

These all boil down to various versions of the question does it matter? If the answer to all of these questions is "no," then I've got some ammunition to convince the whinier parts of my brain that, actually, we're all good here. We've got space. Breathe.

If the answer to any of them is "yes," then maybe it's time to go to red alert*.

Even in that situation, however, I find it's absolutely vital to remind myself that...

Panicking, flapping, and beating myself up is not going to achieve anything at all. 20 minutes spent breathing, calming, relaxing and planning is time much better spent than the same 20 minutes spent doing those other things.

Whilst writing this post I've had the following stuck in my head, placed there by the original challenge as worded in the post's image:

* Even if that does mean changing the bulb.

Optimistic October: Day 25 - Plan a Fun Activity

I'm posting this a day late, but as this is yesterday's post I think I can use today's activity to answer it...

** does that wibbly-woo thing from Wayne's World **

Tomorrow I'll be heading off to Waddesdon Manor with two ex-colleagues and a current one. This particular team tends to meet up once (or so) a year (or so) for an educational day out, which means cake, coffee and catching up.

I've been to Waddesdon before (a couple of months ago, actually), but tomorrow we went* to a part that I hadn't discovered before: the wine cellars. Here are a few photographs that I will have going to have taken from that bit tomorrow:

* I'm writing this from the future, remember? Keep up.

Optimistic October: Day 24 - Priorities, Priorities

I don't know about you, but I'm really really busy at the moment, and it doesn't show any signs of letting up. Life seems to thunder by at a terrifying pace; deadlines fly at you from the darkness, and in some cases just keep going past, receding again into the distance.

I cannot get it all done.

But you know what? We don't have to. We can't get it all done, and we shouldn't bust a gut trying to. We have lives to lead. What's the point if we're working so hard all the time that we can't sit back and experience life every now and then.

Part of the challenge is working out what needs to be done, and what can be set aside if needed.

Of those things that need to be done, then who needs them to be done? Are they things that we have to do or can someone else get involved.

Even with those things that we alone can do, and need to be done, we still have some wiggle room:

What needs to be done to our absolute best standard?
What can be done to a lower standard?
And what's just, when it boils down to it, a box-ticking exercise and doesn't deserve our hardest and best work.

What matters? Hint: It's not always what other people tell you to prioritise. It's up to you.

Optimistic October: Day 23 - Share an Inspiring Idea

Similar to day 17, this one.

Today I shared:

Some ideas regarding my in-progress second postgraduate assignment.
Inspiration sparked by a dance project I'm involved in (!)

How about you?

Optimistic October: Day 22 - Show Me Yours?

You can read mine, but only if you show me yours.

My first guitar lesson in years.
Got an A in my first ever postgraduate assignment.
I was surprisingly gripped by rehearsal performances of a maths, music and dance project that I'm part of.

Optimistic October: Day 21 - Not Great Expectations

You're never going to please everyone all of the time, but a lot of us beat ourselves up trying to do just that.

My mental health journey has to a large extent been about reducing the amount of time I spend floating around outside myself and making assumptions about what everybody else thinks - and expects - of me. In fact, when I'm at my lowest I tend to describe how I'm feeling as almost literally not being inside my own body.

What you think other people think is not what's important. What's important is:

That you're doing what you're doing for reasons;
That those reasons are good ones

Of course, everybody's ideas of what entails "good" reasons can be very different, so I think a decent number 3. to put on that list is you can justify those reasons and a number 4. could be and you're open to redefining them in light of new knowledge, understanding and evidence.

I find that it's a good idea to remind myself now and than that one of the reasons that what I think other people think is not important is that if I'm honest I don't and can't know what other people are thinking. Most of the time the unrealistic expectations of other people turn out to be my own unrealistic expectations of myself projected outwards on other people.

I'm sure they wouldn't be very impressed with me if they knew...

Optimistic October: Day 20 - Joy in Completion!

I tend to work on the least-close-to-finished thing, which means I have a million and one projects on the go, and none of them are finished. One easily visible case of this is in the list of books I'm currently reading. It takes me ages to finish anything... Though I did finish one the other day, so I'll say that's today's challenge complete!

Also, tomorrow I'll be playing my guitar for the first time in around a decade as I was gifted a Lead Guitar Masterclass for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. Excellent!

On Day 14 I set myself some goals and I promised I'd revisit them to see how well I'd done...

Here they are, colour coded: successfully completed goals are green, completely failed are red. Somewhere in the middle are yellow (not quite!) and orange (well, I started...)

From Day 1:

Do some work towards my assignment.
Leave work on time at least once this week.
Go to the gym at least once this week.
Not exceed my self-imposed budget for the month.

Look out for positive news and reasons to be cheerful. (Day 2)
Work on prioritising things properly (from Day 3).
From Day 4, be more conscious of my effect on the environment; call out antisocial behaviour when I see it; be an ally to decent people everywhere; seek out sources of positive news; and to challenge negative nonsense whilst championing the harmless stuff.
From Day 5: read a few pages every night before bed.
Extract something optimistic from the bad stuff (Day 6)
Get on it. (Day 7)
From Day 8, sandwich bad news between bits of good news.
Not join in with that blaming lark. (Day 9)
Look for the good in people around me (Day 10)
Re-frame problems into opportunities. (see Day 11)
Do some reflecting. (Day 12)
Be spontaneous. (Day 13)

There's only one outright failure there... And a few bits of green. I'll chalk that one up as a success with things to work on...

Optimistic October: Day 19 - What are you Looking Forward to?

It can be very easy to dwell on the bad things that might happen, or the boring or less fun things that we know are just around the corner. But there are always some good things coming up too.

Some things I'm looking forward to are:

A guitar lesson (it has been ages since I played, and I got a masterclass for my birthday!)
My first ever visit to America!
Big MathsJam!
A good night's sleep...
... and a little lie in!

Go on then: what's in store for you?

Optimistic October: Day 18 - Pat-On-The-Back Time

Oh, this is a good one.

I've been a little down this week, struggling against an invisible and ill-defined weight on my shoulders. Everything's seemed a little foggy and I have been (metaphorically) wading through treacle.

But there are things we do every day that, even though it feels like we're taking them in our stride, are actually little wins. Some of them are things we find tricky but push through them anyway. Other things are things that we may genuinely find easy but other people wouldn't have a clue.

Here are a few of my "actually, that was pretty good going" wins for today (if you get through them, send me some of yours!):

I went to London by myself.
I walked from Euston station to Southwark, having deliberately got an earlier train to do so.
I spent the day with strangers, immersed in unfamilar surroundings and concentrating on things that were far outside my comfort zone.
I walked back again...

Pretty pleased with that. All of those things will be a "so what?" for someone reading this, but for me, they're all a reason to be a little bit pleased with myself.

Optimistic October: Day 17 - Share Your Most Important Goals

Welll...

I've been sharing goals with you all month, haven't I?

Optimistic October: Day 16 - Change for the Better

Things change. We know that, but it can often be much easier* to worry about things changing for the worse rather than looking forward to things changing for the better.

Having said that, in my darker periods over the last decade-and-a-half or so, it's been hard to shake the idea that existence is an unbreakable monotony. Funnily enough I listened to a fascinating TED talk on this (sort of) theme the other day, which I'll embed at the end of this post.

Before that, though I think it's worth saying that I think that today's challenge is a little asinine, or at the very least unhelpful. Yes, things can change for the better (I've got a new bike, woohoo!) but they can also change for the worse (my Granddad was recently diagnosed with lung cancer). Without any further advice the challenge seems a little flat.

I guess what they're trying to say is that it's easy to latch onto and expect the changes for the worse whilst ignoring the changes for the better. Following this change represents a mindset adjustment, and looking back over the last 15 years or so I think I've managed to achieve that, little by little. It takes time, though, and more than a little effort. Simply remembering that it can happen doesn't really help anything at all.

The TED talk I mentioned earlier might be good for viewing change from a different perspective. Here it is:

* At least, if you're me it is.

Optimistic October: Day 15 - Overcoming Obstacles

As mentioned in some of my responses to previous challenges this month something I really need to do is to become fitter and less, well, just generally less. Another obstacle is professional: I've been doing what I'm doing for ages now and whilst I enjoy it (largely...) there's no opportunity for career progression.

Regarding the first obstacle, I tested that new bike out today. I didn't cycle all the way to work as I didn't think it'd be sensible given that I haven't sat atop a bicycle for any distance for a decade or more. Instead, I cycled to the station (and from it again at the other end).

On the professional front, the steps to take are less obvious but I'm working towards broadening my mathematical horizons: when everything is related to cryptography this pony's tricks are rapidly dwindling in number. With this in mind I've been thinking about the MathsJam talk I offered as part of Day 13's challenge: It's definitely not going to be about anything to do with cryptography. I don't know what it is going to be about, but I've got some ideas and I'll collapse that probability function when (if) my submission for a talk is accepted.

What are your obstacles? If you can't think of a first step towards overcoming them talk to someone about them (me, if you like). Maybe you (we) can help each other along a bit.

Optimistic October: Day 14 - Goal Setting for the Week (and a quick review)

Today's challenge, to set hopeful but realistic goals for the week ahead, is generally a pretty good idea to be taking forwards. But then...

... the whole point of taking part in the Optimistic October challenge is lost if I don't make sure that I take something away from it all to keep for the future. So a recap (of sorts) is in order, with a few loose goals attached based on each day's challenge so far.

I will...

As per the goals set on Day 1:

Do some work towards my assignment.
Leave work on time at least once this week.
Go to the gym at least once this week.
Not exceed my self-imposed budget for the month.

Look out for positive news and reasons to be cheerful, as agreed to on Day 2.

If you'd like to help me with this, mention me in some happy, funny, cheerful and generally lovely news posted on twitter.
If you'd like help with this, I've added some links to positive news sources on the "More?" page of this site. If you know of any others, please let me know!

Work on prioritising my daily work, as was the theme of Day 3.
Keep up with my efforts to be the positive changes that I want to see in society. On Day 4, I promised to be more conscious of my effect on the environment; call out antisocial behaviour when I see it; be an ally to decent people everywhere; seek out sources of positive news (see #2!); and to challenge negative nonsense whilst championing the harmless stuff.
Keep up with Day 5's pledge to read a few pages every night before bed. I haven't been perfect between then and now, but I've managed it most days.
Look the bad, annoying or upsetting stuff in the face and extract something optimistic from it. Day 6 told me to, so it's happening.
Get on it. Procrastination would be my middle name if it wasn't already Kenneth, so Day 7 has, is and always will be a challenge, but I'm going to get. On. It*.
Respond to difficult situations constructively. Also, as I challenged myself on Day 8, I'll sandwich bad news between bits of good news. Feel free to give me a nudge if I slip on this one.
Not join in with that blaming lark. Day 9 has a point. I will, instead, [see #7].
Look for the good in people around me, as challenged on Day 10. Nobody's all good, but nobody's all bad either.
Re-frame those problems. I guess Day 11 is just Day 10 in a different... frame. Also the chubster thing. I got that bike, by the way.
Do some reflecting on what I achieve, as Day 12 dictated. I can use this post to do that. See you on Day 20?**
Live a little. Be spontaneous. Day 13 reminds me to not let #3 on this list take over.

How are things going with your challenges so far, and what are your main goals for the week ahead? Good luck with them, and let me know if I can help out!

* First thing in the morning.

** Hopefully before then, too, though.

Optimistic October: Day 13 - A Spontaneous Thing

Today's challenge is a bit of an odd one for me, because to-do lists are very much not my forte, so I thought I'd flip this one on my head.

I use todoist to keep track of my to-dos at home. I say "use," but really that means I use todoist to record a whole heap of things that I'm probably not going to get around to.

So, today I spontaneously did some things on my to-do list:

One was called "Q&A entry," which refers to a diary of sorts in which I am supposed to answer a daily question for five years. The entry was 211 days overdue. I caught up a bit (but not completely).
I'm going to America soon, and it occurred to me the other day that I'd need money while I'm there, so I put it on my to-do list (which is a surefire way to make sure it gets forgotten). I got that process in motion.
I put my name down to do a talk for Big MathsJam in November. This'll be my fourth (I think) Big MathsJam and I've promised myself I'll offer a talk each time. Now I've done it, if it's accepted I'll have no choice but to actually write it.

I can say with complete honesty that without any prior planning I decided on a complete whim to be not spontaneous today: what did you do?

Optimistic October: Day 12 - A Reflection on This Week's Achievments

Day 12, and I'm still going! Today's challenge is to take time to reflect on what you have achieved this week. I want to hear what you've done, either in the comments or over on Twitter!

My own achievements can be summed up as follows:

I took three days off work*! I almost managed not to spend any time answering work emails, too, but I can't really notch that up as an achievement. Still needs work.
It was my birthday week, and for the first time in as long as I can remember I didn't dread it. I could hear the Black Dog howling in the distance on Saturday, but managed to keep it at arm's length.
I socialised on Friday night. It's been a while since that happened.
I got the resource I've been developing for teachers (and their students) to test as part of my PGCert in Digital Leadership finished and sent out on time!

Magic. What did you get up to?

* I won't mention the fact that I worked on Saturday...

Optimistic October: Day 11 - Reframing Problems

This is a great idea...

Problem: Stop being such a chubster.

The solution: I need to eat less and move more. Gah.
A reframing of that problem: If I eat less bad stuff and more of the decent stuff I can save a bit of cash. If I walk when I can (and make use of that bike I've got on order that I bought with birthday money so it didn't even cost me anything) I can spend less on petrol and rail fares.

What's your problem, and how could you frame it? Answers on a postcard (or in the comments)!

Optimistic October: Day 10 - Look for the Good Intentions

It's not just Optimistic October; it's also World Mental Health day and my birthday. Traditionally, I've struggled with this day each year.

This year, however, has been the best in quite some time. Not because anything specific happened today in particular. Just that I've gradually got a bit better at dealing with the Black Dog when it comes sniffing around.

I'll pull out something from today, though. There's someone who I often clash with, but today they did something for me which involved going out of their way. It was only a little something, and only the tiniest detour, but it was done nevertheless, and it was done with a smile.

I really appreciated that.

World Mental Health Day: Traditionally My 2nd Least Favourite Day of the Year

Today is 10th October, and it's World Mental Health Day. Oddly, it has traditionally also been my 2nd least favourite day of the year for most of my life.

Optimistic October: Day 9 - Avoid the Blame Game

I successfully managed this one, but then there wasn't really anything to blame anyone for. However, as this is Optimistic October, I shall do my best to mention something I'm trying to do more consistently that definitely helps towards my own mental health improvement goals. Also, hopefully you won't detect any virtue-signalling. Excellent.

One thing that pops up on twitter now and then is the (generally quite good) advice that one should apologise less in emails. You know, the one that suggests instead of typing "sorry for the delay," you should replace it with something like "thanks for your patience". I'm getting better at that, and in genuinely removes a little bit of that self-flagellation which it is so easy to surreptitiously in all areas of our lives.

Well, the same idea works in the opposite direction. If someone takes a while getting back to you, then absolutely nothing is gained by getting grumpy over it. Suck it up. Provide some suggestions. Set some deadlines for actionable, well-defined targets. Be clear, concise, informative and decisive.

If something goes wrong, apportioning blame very rarely helps matters. If others are wasting time blamestorming, let them get on with it while you set about actually doing something instead. Stick up for yourself more than you tend to*, and stick up for others even more than that, especially if they're in a less influential position than you are.

So ends today's sermon.

* Even, nay, especially against your own inner monologue. If you're anything like me, they're the worst.

Optimistic October: Day 8 - Doing Something Constructive

Today's challenge is something I try to do whenever I see a tricky situation brewing, but I'm not sure if I can honestly talk about much I've done towards this today specifically.

I have a challenge to offer, though. A challenge for me, and also for you, that I think fits today's Optimistic October entry.

The challenge goes something like this:

News these days is generally very negative. Bad news sells; good news seems to do less well. This doesn't do any favours for our mental health, so can we make some steps towards making that better? I think we can. Here's a challenge that I'd like you all to take part in, and I'd like you to help me to keep. Call me out when I get it wrong; pat me on the back when I get it right. Here goes:

When sharing anything at all on social media (or anywhere else) you are choosing to propagate that story and all of the values and emotions that come along for the ride. Every time you share something, follow this:

Is it good news? Is it positive news? Is it happy? Is it true?

Yes! - Keep it up. Share with wild abandon.
No - Does it need to be shared? Really?

Yes! - Sandwich it between something good, positive and uplifting. Don't share until you've found something heartwarming, and then make sure you share something else with an uplifting centre to it soon afterwards.
No - Then don't share it.

Who's with me? If you are, maybe you can pass this on to others and set them the challenge too.

Just for clarity, this challenge starts now, and it ends... Never.

Optimistic October: Day 7 - Disavoidance

Today's Optimistic October challenge is sponsored by My First Day Off In Months and The Obligatory Encroaching Headcold. Nevertheless I powered through the aching neck and sinuses and did some stuff.

I've been coveting folding bikes for a while and, having received an unexpected sum of monies from an undisclosed benefactor (or, if you like, a birthday gift from my grandparents) I decided to head out and buy myself one. This may not seem much like a "project or task" but it intersects with at least three broader projects lose weight, get fitter, and spend less. I hope.

Anyway, I went to the shop I've spent months choosing to purchase the bike I've spent months researching only to find the cycle section practically bare and having a refit.

So I went home and did some washing up and vacuuming and changed the bedsheets instead, which are all tasks residing under the housework project, which is something I generally tend to avoid as much as possible.

I also responded to some work emails, which isn't the best thing for a day "off", I grant you, but that will hopefully contribute to the inbox 2000 project*.

What did you get up to?

* Inbox zero is a long way off.

Optimistic October: Day 6 - Being a Realistic Optimist

This is a refreshing one. So often we're told to look on the bright side, but there's often a reason for darker days and it pays to take note of the bad things sometimes so that we can change them rather than just coping with them. I'm going through some difficult things at the moment, but today's Optimistic October entry is about focusing on the good stuff. So here goes...

A family member has had some very, very bad news in the last couple of weeks...

... but we've still got time left to spend together, and things worth reminiscing about.

There are some things about work that frustrate the hell out of me...

... but I work in a unique role and every day drops something new in front of me. I learn new things all the time, and get brilliant feedback from people I work with externally on a regular basis.

I don't seem to have any time to myself...

... but that's because I am, in some senses of the word, 'successful'. I am in enormous demand at work, and outside of work is full of stuff to do, not least the PGCert course I'm working towards. My social life is... well, I have one, which is streets ahead of where I was a few years ago. I'm certainly not bored!

Some of my favourite people who are most important to me are the ones who are furthest away...

... but I know they're there, and I know they care.

Optimistic October: Day 5 - First Steps

I have plenty of goals that I'm working towards at the moment (you can see some in Day 1's Optimistic October post), but today's challenge is to take the first step towards what I'm interpreting as a new goal.

I've been meaning to read more. This is not something that I think I should do, but something I know I enjoy doing and life often gets in the way of it. My first step will be a pledge:

I will read a few pages every night before bed.

There. I've said it. Now I'm going to do it.

G'night.

Optimistic October: Day 4 - Positive Ch Ch Ch Changes

Here's a real challenge for me. There are plenty of things that drive me quietly bonkers about society, but this is Optimistic October so I need to turn that on its head...

I'm working hard to reduce my consumption of single-use plastics and favouring the purchase of things that come with less packaging to throw away, regardless of its composition.
Rather than quietly seething when I experience people being racist, sexist, transphobic or generally intolerant of people, things and ideas that aren't in the slightest intolerable, I'm calling it out. I'm doing my best to let people know that that sort of thing is not something that I'm willing to tolerate, and I'm doing it in a polite, calm and civil manner.
I'm doing the best I can to be an ally to everyone who identifies somewhere (or nowhere) on the big, complicated and broad spectrum of humanity. If you're a decent person, I'm your ally.
I'm seeking out sources of positive news.
I will tackle head-on nonsense and ridiculousness of any type that has at least the potential for a negative effect on people, persons or peoples (whilst championing the friendly, harmless nonsense and ridiculousness that I enjoy so much).

Optimistic October: Day 3 - Starting Importantly

Welcome to Day 3 of my OptimisticOctober19 challenge!

Working on the assumption that this means the list in Day 1's challenge, I started off with a pull-up (baby steps...) which contributes to motivations behind #3. I started my work day with some development time on the mathematics resource that I'm creating to be trialed over the next two weeks by some volunteer maths teachers. That contributes to #1!

How about you? What did you get up to?

Optimistic October: Day 2 - Reasons to be Cheerful Part 1 (of 1)

It's Day 2 of OptimisticOctober19, and today's challenge is to look out for positive news and reasons to be cheerful.

I decided to do this via the medium of twitter, so I posted a few things that I came across throughout the day, and a few other people joined in too!

If you've got some positive news or a reason to be cheerful today (or any day) I'd love to hear it. Explore mine and those of the others who have joined in here (just click the little blue bird...):

I'm going to thread some good news and positive things here throughout the day for today's #OptimisticOctober entry. Would love to see some of yours!
— Tommaths (@TeaKayB) October 2, 2019

I finished off the day with a re-watch of a really good movie.

Optimistic October: Day 1 - Gooooooals

It's day 1 of Optimistic October, and the first challenge is:

My top four most important goals for this month are...

Do a decent job of my next assignment, due in early next month.
Habitually leave work on time at least once a week (baby steps...).
Go to the gym at least once a week.
Stay within my budget for the month.

What are your most important goals for this month?

Optimistic October!

I've been challenged to take part in Action for Happiness's Optimistic October (by friend and colleague Claire). I'll be posting responses to the below challenges every day throughout October 2019, and I'll be tagging them with OptimisticOctober19.

That's the full calendar. Feel free to join in at home (and point me towards your own responses, or just post them in the comments, or tweet them at me...) or just egg me on, and PLEASE send me reminders!

October is a particularly pertinent month for me to be doing this as it's a month I've always had problems with. I can be a grumpy guy at times, but October, traditionally for me, is a time of the year that optimism is usually even more difficult to muster. In fact, historically it's been my second-least-favourite month of the year!

Enough waffling. First (proper) response coming up...

Join me?

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Problem: Stop being such a chubster.