This post comes to you in light of

a) all the HAPPY NEW YEAR news stories that property prices have gone from hilariously, stratospherically unaffordable (I live in London. Yep.) to utterly jump-off-a-bridge-laughing-while-crying unaffordable

b) Taking the literal view, I don’t even know if I *want* to BUY a house (the word mortgage is still synonymous with SCARY THINGS in my head, even if I could ever get one on my wage) but I’d quite like to be able to afford to live/rent somewhere preferably without other people in it (bar the boyfriend, maybe, I don’t know, if we’re lucky, or not) at *some point* before I die

c) I know it’s a metaphor but WHAT OF? Commitment? Getting shit done? Making decisions? All of the above? *sigh* This strikes deep into the heart of basically all my insecurities. My whole adult life has been dogged by a feeling of wanting to do so many things. all at the same time, that more often than not the feeling is one of paralysis over productivity. Part of my new year’s resolution is to fix this, little by little, step by step…but first, allow me a small communion with this nostalgic piece of early-2000s lyricism

d) the BBC’s decision to broadcast Christmas romcom CLASSIC Love Actually a few days ago (let’s ignore the fact that it’s 10 years old, and has aged badly) which has another fab Dido song (Here With Me) in the background of that great “self-preservation” scene where Andrew Lincoln dithers, freaks out, looks adorably cold, and zips up his so-bad-it’s-good zip-up jumper

e) The “why am I afraid to fail” line might be one of the most insightful lyrics I know (and yet simultaneously the default excuse for all procrastinators everywhere)

d) Here’s the song on video, to cheer you up (the tune’s nice and singalong-able).

Happy New Year!