Yes, there’s a baby on the way. And yet, apparently oblivious, I’m already preparing my goals, objectives and targets for 2015. And, in that annual resolutions document (that as ever runs to a couple+ pages) there’s nothing about the baby (though with a wink, it was one of the objectives for this year, successfully ticked off of course).

Common experience would predict that once you have a new born, all life outside of work grinds to a halt, ambitions cease, and life becomes about the baby and little else. As has been remarked here before, people with children who are seen as successes, generally have very supportive wives and serious problems with their children.

So, should I scrap objectives for the next twenty years and just concentrate on being a great Dad?  For the time being, I’m going to try and soldier on. A few things give me hope – first, I’ll be in Africa where home help is easy and affordable. Getting baby sitters is rarely a problem on the continent, especially for a beautiful caramel-skinned baby. Secondly, my wife doesn’t work outside the home, and is extremely hard working in the home. I need to be conscious of making sure I’m around and helping out (and there’ll be plenty of time for the baby), while at the same time finding space to continue with goals. My thoughts for 2015 are to concentrate efforts on five key objectives – Church, writing life, getting super fit, improving photo/video skills and being a good friend. And much will hinge on getting a couple of hours set-up each morning before work to work on these. I’m moving country at the end of next week, which gives me the final quarter of the year to try to bed down new habits and routines in Freetown.