I've never been a fan of New Year's Resolutions. They just seem too vague and disposable.
So, in recent years, I haven't bothered to set any!
But this year it feels different.
Maybe its because I recently saw a presentation by Amber Johnson on how to set your goals for the new year. Maybe it's a sign of the times, wanting to take back a bit more control. Or maybe it's just a product of the fact I'm turning 50 this year!
I have three main areas that I am focusing on developing this year: health, knowledge and skills and community.
I turn 50 this year. My 40s have been a bit of a gentle decline in fitness. I made a start on reversing this trend over the last couple of years and have decided that this year is the year to double down.
My aim is to return to the general fitness level and body weight that I was when I turned 40. Weight is an easy one to measure. Strength and fitness are a little trickier, so I set the aim as completing the Wall event run by the Rat Race team. Its a 70 mile event that has to be completed in 27 hours. When I complete that in June then I can tick the "I'm fit enough" box!
Health is obviously more than just the physical. I need to keep my brain nice and active too as I get older, which takes me nicely on to knowledge and skills.
I've been working as an Accountant, Modeller and Spreadsheet Trainer for most of my career and am pretty comfortable in that space. I often learn new things, but am rarely challenged by taking on new knowledge and skills to the extent that I was when I was at school and university.
So, inspired by attending the Microsoft Excel World Championships in Vegas in December, I am going to complete in the MEWC and MEWC UK competitions this year. I'll be joined in my journey by Fay Bordbar and sharing our progress on our YouTube channel.
I am following in the footsteps of Giles, who came back from the MEWC championships in 2024, signed straight up for the competition and persuaded me that we should take an active role in setting up and running the UK chapter.
I'm three weeks in, and have already learnt a huge amount. My brain has had to work in ways that it hasn't for years. This can only be a good thing.
My aim is therefore to train for and compete in each of (or most of, there are a lot!) the MEWC and MEWC UK battles.
Last year, I was really struck by the importance of community, especially as we increasingly experience the impacts of remote working, social media and AI on our society.
Kate Clarke and I launched the Bristol Excel Meetup Group in early 2025 to bring together local Excel and modelling enthusiasts. We now have over 230 members, and our recent meetup had over 35 attendees and the event had a great vibe about it. This year, we have plans to grow the membership and further develop the community feel between our in-person events by using a new community hub hosted by Full Stack Modeller (joint sponsors of the meetup with Artemis Clarke).
When I was in Vegas I was blown away by the community spirit surrounding the MEWC. I've never experienced anything quite like it. This is another reason for me to compete this year. This is a group of people with whom I am so aligned that it makes sense to get more involved.
To support and encourage other new players, Fay and I are running a beginners group (currently 25+) where we can all go through the journey together. The group, along with a broader UK Chapter community hub, is being hosted by Full Stack Modeller (sponsors of the UK Chapter).
Leading and being an active member in these groups feels like a great way to ensure that I build solid and meaningful relationships in 2026.
I think I have set myself some sensible challenges for this year and surrounded them with enough support and accountability that they should stick.
I'm really grateful to Amber for getting me to take this more seriously, and to Kate and Fay for being the people who will be holding me accountable throughout the year.
2026, bring it on!
Are you looking to improve your Excel skills, be that core Excel, Financial Modelling or Data Visualisation?
Are you considering taking FMI's AFM exam?
Are you looking to compete in the Microsoft Excel World Cup?
Are you looking for a community of like-minded professionals to share ideas with?
If you have answered yes to any of the above, then our team at Full Stack Modeller can help you achieve these goals.
Get in touch or check out our core training and bootcamp pages for more information.