10 Things to Do Before 35

Scary times. I'm in my mid thirties. I have a lot of catching up to do in life, but I have plans.

1. Learn shorthand. A month's project that should allow me to get the basics.

2. Do some citizen journalism. Spend a month searching for stories and writing them up, publishing them on the blog as quickly as possible, and letting The Manchester Evening News know that, when it comes to providing information about the city, they have competition.

3. Get this ridiculous blog to be something more than what it currently is. I need to find better information, and live a better life that will lead to more interesting stories. Things are improving- I'm writing better, I'm finding more events to review and I'm finding groups of people who will come with me- I just need to move it up a notch.

4. Make one more rewrite on my screenplay and get it sent out. A recent feedback session on the whole story was a real eye-opener. There are strengths and weaknesses to it, the main weakness being that it would cost a fucking fortune and would annoy a LOT of people. Its themes of shady politics and terrorism won't go down well with many.
   
   
5. Move jobs and do something involving writing, for money.

6. Stop eating shit, rep out at the gym and get my abs back.

7. Become more confident. Working very hard on this. I'll admit, it's frequently terrifying, sometimes humiliating but usually exciting trying to grow. The aim: a relationship.

8. Move home, stop renting, get a mortgage. I need to stop throwing my money away in this way and start investing. Haven't found anywhere suitable yet, but looking. (The last place I visited looked great with a pretty decent location and plenty of storage. There was just one off-putting issue: in the attic, directly above the hatch, a rope noose hung from one of the beams. Suffice to say, my mum freaked when she found out so that's a no from me.)
   
   
9. Travel. I have Berlin on the cards this year, with people I've met through Meetup. I'm also keen to check out a few deals on Easyjet's Inspire Me tool and visit a few other cheap European destinations.

10. I've got a list of Manchester bars, club nights and restaurants that I'd really like to check out. I'm ticking them off one at a time. (The above link leads to an outdated list: the list on my phone is up to date. Some I've ticked off, some I've added on since.) By the end of July '17 I should have visited them all... But new places open up all the time, so there'll always be more to see. Most of these trips will be on a Friday or Saturday, and most of them will be organised through Manchester Cool Bars, so if you fancy checking a few of them out with me, get involved and keep your eye on Meetup.

I have a little over 11 months to do this. Here I go!