As of yesterday morning the world is full of people vowing to shed half their body weight, give up the deadly weed, be a better, kinder, nicer more worthy person and all by the first of February.

Meh.

I give it two weeks for most people(me included). Leopards and spots spring to mind. We have vices because we like them and it's human nature to indulge what we like. We should learn to love our wickedness. It makes us more interesting. So spark me up a Marlboro light and pass the Black Magic. That's my resolution done.

Yep, when a new year rolls around, everyone tends to look forward. Not me. The future's a big old blank page and how I fill it is yet to be seen. I prefer to look back. To take stock and see what I've learned in the year gone by. So here it is. Ten things I learned in 2009. Most of you probably know these already...I seem to be a slow learner..;-)

1) Hard work pays off more often than luck. Luck's always handy, but it sure as hell isn't reliable. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing you achieved something by working bloody hard at it.

2) If something looks too good to be true, then it is. End of. Enjoy the view and move on. Just for god's sake, don't touch. It'll only lead to disappointment.

3) Work makes me happy but everyone needs to make time to down tools and take a look around. There's been a lot of trips and travel this year; North Carolina, Marrakesh, New York, California. I loved every minute of each of them despite each time thinking 'ooh, I should stay at home and get some work done.' Work isn't life.

4) An ex-smoker is never a non-smoker. The battle rages forever on that one. Currently I'm a 'part-time' or 'social' smoker after seven years free. However I justify it, smoking is smoking. Time to either battle it again or make my peace with my vice. Hmmm.

5) Sometimes you have to make the world really loud in order to appreciate the quiet. I'm sorry Twitter, I don't miss you.

6) Sometimes you make new and brilliant friends in the most unexpected places. Thank you, Twitter, for that. Your work here is done.

7) A most ordinary weather beaten wooden box can be a magical place.

8) Trust your gut feeling. It's your survival instinct. It knows stuff.

9) 'Moving up in the world' does not mean you need to change your friends to suit. I love my friends. I love my comrades in this writing business. I like to think we're all going up together. And if you trade them in, then who's going to catch you when you fall down the ladder with a bump?

10) I'm not as tough as I thought I was. But I'm cleverer than I thought I was. Not a bad trade off I guess, all things considered. And who wants to be tough all the time?

So that's it. Ten things I learned. They might not seem so big, but every lesson can be a big one.

So, goodbye 2009 and hello 2010.

You're an empty space.

In you, anything is possible.

And I like that.

SP x