I made a few simple resolutions for the new year.

Realizing that such major steps as becoming a paragon of physical virtue are not likely to lead to any happy result, but serve merely to cause one to shake one's head woefully at one's every wrong turn, I simply decided to save a few quid and a bit of wear and tear by being less drunken than I was for several weeks over the festive season. I don't feel that this is at all unrealistic, since Oliver Reed could have managed that one. Other resolutions are all to do with the getting together of the proverbial shit. I like this sort of resolution, because it serves as a substitute for actually getting one's shit together. Admirably.

What's the difference between resolutions and a to do list? None that I can see. Except perhaps that there is a little bit more virtue attached to keeping a resolution, and I am all for anything that incidentally rubs off a bit of virtue like creating a patina on an old brass kettle in reverse.

Accordingly I have resolved to do, and in some cases have actually done already, the following:

• Assemble all the music I have that I actually like in decent VBR MP3 form so that I might actually listen to some of it from time to time in various locations - which locations, woefully, do not frequently include in front of my very nice stereo. I feel that I probably only have this because I am a white boy from Maidenhead and it is integral to my self-esteem. But there you go. One day I'll get it in the same room as me.

• Continue to take photographs as often as practically possible. I'm delighted that these days my life is so well documented. Oh that this had been the case in the past. Still, we didn't have cheap digital cameras then, and no doubt when the power runs out we'll be back to vellum or post-its or whatever. Maybe wax cylinders. For the time being though there's no reason not to get everything digital and handy, provided a large element of clunky old analogue is kept by for a rainy day.

• Essential home maintenance. Well, I got the boiler serviced and I have replaced the leaky old mixer tap in the kitchen and tracked down some of the leaks in the plumbing. So this one is quite well on track.

• To sort out the parlous state of my clothing with a view to enjoying a bit more female company. Women care about these things, whereas I famously do not. There is a middle line, and I need to tread it.

• Continue to put a fair bit of time in on Second Life with the aim of either getting pissed off with it or getting thoroughly involved with it. Either way, it's the sort of thing that has always intrigued me so there exists the clear need to explore it thoroughly.

• To actually get away for a bit this year. It's been four years since I went away for five days. It's about time. Maybe I can not be ill for long enough to do it this year.

No doubt there is a lot more. But I am involved in various creative projects at the moment, so even if they are not what I'd ideally be doing I cannot self-accuse of getting nothing done. And it is still mercifully not very cold, which regular readers will know causes a large boost to morale only partly dissipated by the lurking feeling that this heralds the end of the world as we know it.