Where you're at
Thanks for engaging with the tricky question of who you’d be for 24 hours, if not yourself. I accept it is a puzzling existential matter because I’m not sure whether you are ‘yourself in a different body, sightseeing’ or ‘actually them’. I imagine that I’m in some way me, perched in Serena’s consciousess, observing. But yes, this is all some way off yet.
So, as I mentioned yesterday, I want to hear what you’ve been up to for your TYSIC, or personal 10year challenge. The answer may be nothing. Two people have already used the phrase ‘fuck-all’ in comments. But whether you have logged any progress whatsoever, or not, please check in to the TYSIC site (part of my fans’ forum) and write something to describe it. Even if ‘it’ is nothing.
I will be sending a giant morale-boosting email to everyone who signed up, and awaiting your news.
I myself have inched forward in some departments, not in others, and will also be reporting on this. I aim to compile the whole report over the weekend. It’s a ten year challenge so no need to rush, but some form of surveillance keeps us all on our toes.
If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, it’s worth looking back to the early days of this blog. The TYSICs were one of the main reasons for beginning it. And will be churning on long after some readers have fallen away. Although, to judge from the high levels of loyalty shown so far, maybe not many…
Posted by Becca on August 28, 2010
MusicalLottie, Thanks! I’ve now officially joined in the challenge
Posted by MusicalLottie on August 28, 2010
Becca,
http://markwatsonfans.com/ and click on the TYSIC-esque link
Posted by Rick Procter on August 28, 2010
Where you’re between, more like… ;o)
Posted by Becca on August 27, 2010
I’m having a really blonde moment, I’m sure I’ve even been on the TYSIC site before but can’t find it anywhere!! Any of you kind people care to point me in the right direction?
Thanks
Posted by Alex on August 27, 2010
Having thought about it, I think I might like to be Kate Humble. How do you get a job being Kate Humble? Everything she gets to do looks like so much fun.
Posted by MusicalLottie on August 27, 2010
Right, I’ve updated! Now for the 24hr-swap … I’d like to be somebody who is either completely ‘normal’ or completely not. I always feel stuck in the middle of being something and not – for example, I’m on the diagnostic borderline of the autistic spectrum, I’m not an adult but not a kid, neither properly hearing-impaired nor properly hearing, not a great musician but not useless, etc. Even to the point of my shoe size being 4.5 *hmph* My life feels like one big fraud!
There are lots of people I know in my everyday life whom I’d like to be for a day. My friend has seemingly endless physical stamina, is fantastic with people, very calm, is able to solve problems, and I just generally admire him a lot. An ex-colleague has a very extrovert personality and is just hilarious. I’d like to know how it feels to be like that (and while there I’d instil a better sense of grammar so his displays don’t have to be corrected). My deputy manager is absolutely lovely yet can certainly stand up for herself; that would be interesting to be able to find that balance.
On a more ‘celebrity’ note, I’d like to be Hugh Laurie or Stephen Fry. If Laurie, I’d try to get him to see how brilliant he is; if Fry, I’d stop him swearing. Or David Attenborough.
Speaking of which, Mark, I watched last night the Buzzcocks you hosted – it was all clean, very funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Posted by Aislinn on August 27, 2010
Ditto with having done absolutely nothing I mean, I’m still struggling to come up with a TYSIC. I don’t know what I can do. I know there’s something, I just don’t know what.
Posted by Laura on August 27, 2010
The fact that today was the first time in four months that I had even been on the TYSIC site confirms yesterday’s ‘fuck-all’ statement. I think I need a new challenge which involves working on my commitment. Still, I did update (if you can call it that) about my distinct lack of progress.
Posted by Rachael on August 27, 2010
I’m on it, bet you can’t wait!
Posted by Lydia on August 27, 2010
So if I signed up now, that would be okay? I only really found out about you and TYSIC and everything a couple of months go, so I am very behind on it all. I like the idea of it a lot though.
Posted by Phill on August 27, 2010
I just wrote a long “short update”, then I realised there is a new “long update” section. Doh. Still, I hope it comes across anyway!
I have made progress but it’s slow going. I guess it’s a good thing this is a ten-year challenge!
Posted by amycool on August 27, 2010
I think I’m in the minority in updating every tiny step I make towards my TYSICs so I’ll have to write a summary.
Posted by Max on August 27, 2010
Sent my update. First one in ages.
I’m not doing as bad as I thought I was.
Posted by Beth (@Doomed1) on August 27, 2010
Update sent!! Still all going rubbish!! Not my fault! Its the economys fault! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Posted by chrissy on August 27, 2010
I have just updated, this is my last week of full time work, as of next week I will only work 15 hours a week as I start college doing my access course on the 13th of sept and will be on the first step to becoming a midwife.
Posted by Ivan (@ivanbrett) on August 27, 2010
I’ve had some good updates on this, all added today on the TYSIC site which i didn’t even really realise existed, until today. Hurrah!
Posted by Rachel Winter on August 27, 2010
Am afraid mine is indeed in that vein – depressingly little.
Part of my reaon for having 3 weeks in Edinbro was because I thought it was such a huge amount of time I was BOUND to get loads done towards my core tysic.
Curse you Costa for distracting me with your cakes and hot chocolate!
And I keep thinking I missed out on some tysic things in edinburgh? though I do hope not. hmm.
Posted by Tibbs on August 27, 2010
I keep meaning to update over there, and every time I just go straight to the fan forum and forget all about it. And I do feel like I’ve made some progress, especially with the “being less introverted” bit. Although some might say that being on the internet during family time at my cousin’s cottage is not exactly the kind of progress I’m aiming for (my mother in particular probably holds this view!), but, eh. I’m sort of trying to talk to them too…
Posted by Maddie on August 27, 2010
Will update soon time… need to think about it a bit, very limited achievements so far…
Posted by Simon on August 27, 2010
I’m rather late to this having only recently encountered the genius that is Mark Watson. So I read back to the start of the blog to discover what exactly you were going on about and then imagined what my challenges might be. I hope that’s not cheating. I’ve had progress on one and not on any of the others.
Posted by Zoe on August 26, 2010
Eep! Realised I haven’t actually updated since March. Must try harder. Will get something written tomorrow, promise.
Posted by Laurs on August 26, 2010
I’ve just updated, was supposed to be short, but like everything I type, it ended up being much longer than it needed to be!
Posted by Ally on August 26, 2010
I’ve typed up a short update. But in short, mine are progressing nicely
Posted by Katie on August 26, 2010
I’ll do mine tomorrow.
(That’s not me trying to get out of it, I do have a very good reason. Promise.)
Posted by Deborah Fern on August 26, 2010
Update written and submitted.
On reflection quite a lot has happened towards my TYSIC, though since it results from being made redundant, I wish I had less progress to report.
Posted by Kathryn on August 26, 2010
Some progress made. It’s difficult to tell. I may need to re-assess my goals.
Posted by Misha on August 26, 2010
I think mines up to date now.
Lots of progress on one, none on the other.
Posted by Amy B on August 26, 2010
Just used the site for the first time (I commented on the first post with my challenge but never went to the site for some reason). Not entirely sure I’ve done it right, and the fact I’ve put in doing well in my A Levels in after I’ve had the results makes little sense, but that’s just because I’m a little late! My new challenege may have to be working out how to use the site.
Posted by Kate W on August 26, 2010
I feel like I’m falling down on the TYSIC-editor job here – very happy to do a summary, then you can focus on writing about your personal challenge.
Posted by Kate B on August 26, 2010
Right, I’m going to go and write my first update in ages. Something tells me it is going to be similar to a few of the other TYSICers “fuck-all”. Never mind.
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on August 26, 2010
*scurries away to write an update*