Happy New Year

During this the season of rituals and good intentions we’ve reached the pathetic annual finale. We’ve had the excesses and over indulgence, now comes the massive press fuelled guilt trip. In an attempt to proclaim some pseudo rebirth and cleansing of the spirits and selfishly to make ourselves feel just that little bit better about life, we loudly proclaim to anyone within earshot that we are going to change. Yes, it’s New Years Resolution time.

A recent study undertaken by a National TV Chanel has identified the top ten New Years Resolutions for the coming year. No surprise that top of the list is to lose weight followed by getting fit and eating more healthily.

Doesn’t it strike you as a little odd that we need a fixed point in the calendar to make a decision to change behaviour? Lets face it you could decide to quit smoking at anytime or indeed finally fix that squeaking floorboard without having to wait for the passing of another year. Is it that somehow there is more power and resolve to succeed by opting to change behaviour in January due to some odd alignment of the planets or is it that there is greater success by being one of the many?… the answer is a most definite ‘No’. Apparently 95% of Britons will make and try to stick to a resolution each year but the majority will abandon it within a month and most, significantly, earlier than that.

Those who do persist just a little bit longer still tend to fall by the wayside. Take those amongst us who realise they should be fitter, (and I put myself in this group), approximately 67% of all Gym memberships are not used. So in one final seasonal act of folly we not only lack the mental resolve to persist we actually add to the financial burden of the new year.

Now if I were of a mind to follow the masses just what would I consider worthy of a National announcement? Well my brother stopped drinking this time last year and hasn’t had alcohol pass his lips since… but that was I believe in an attempt to aid his après running recovery. (Although I have noticed he is packing the Maltesers away in a fair quantity instead), I don’t run anymore and so am less concerned about achieving that little bit of extra performance while bashing the Tarmac and actually, I quite enjoy the odd glass of fizz here and there, so that’s not an option.

How about number 7 on the top ten count down, try new experiences? Well I’ve just returned from several weeks of snowboarding in Canada which also included dog sledding and a horse sleigh ride and so have already made a concerted effort off of the back of reaching my half century to do just that, a kind of less morbid ‘Bucket List’ if you will. So strike that off too. Number 5, get a new job? Well actually I really enjoy what I do and am comfortable with what I can achieve with it currently so that’s a no go as well.

So what else is on that all telling top ten list? Well all the usual suspects really.

The list of top ten New Years resolutions

1. Lose weight
2. Get fit
3. Eat more healthily
4. Save money/spend less
5. Get a new job
6. Spend more time with people who matter
7. Try new experiences
8. Get out of a rut
9. Visit a country you’ve never been to
10. Read more

Apart from the bleedin’ obvious benefits surrounding the doing or not doing of most of the charting topics, what else could I do that would benefit me or others? I could declare my intention to eat fewer sweets, clean the bathroom more regularly or vacuum the car but none of these will make much difference one way or the other. I could smarten up a little perhaps, wear my hair shorter… but that’s not really me… and there in lies my problem. My vices are few and fairly minor in nature. I could spend less time in TK Maxx buying clothes I guess, especially coats I don’t really need. I could try and spend more time with my girls but they seem happy at the current level of interaction being the teenagers they are or I could commit to walking the dog more regularly, though he’s getting on in years and wouldn’t thank me for disturbing his slumbers. No. Not good enough. Not life changing enough. Not a big enough life affecting commitment.

I know… I resolve to stop taking notice of lists that have been generated to fill column inches, that do nothing more than confirm what we already know. We do what we do with the full knowledge of the consequences and if we really wanted to change would have changed our ways long ago. I refuse to feel guilty, no matter what time of the year. Enjoy your alcohol free, low fat non gym super saver travels. Happy New Year.