Reflecting on New Year’s Resolutions

‘Five!’ I’m standing on Primrose Hill, struggling to loosen the cork in a bottle of champagne, ready for the chimes.

‘Four!’ This cork just won’t come clear!

‘Three!’ Some fireworks go off over my right hand shoulder. Some clocks in north west London are clearly running a bit fast.

‘Two!’ There we go, the cork is ready. Now I’m worried about it going off too early – quiet at the back – stop making your own jokes.

‘One… Happy New Year!’

People cheer. The fireworks start. The champagne cork flies into the air, destined to land a few moments later on a couple slightly further down the hill…

…and then it was over, as quickly as it started. It was the New Year and what have we now got to show for it?

Well, we’ve got our resolutions. Made with the greatest of intentions as the fireworks finished, all with the aim of making the next year better.

They were being made there at midnight: ‘I’m going to give up smoking,’ said a man taking out his last cigarette. ‘I’m going to read more,’ said his partner.

Behind me similar oaths were being made: ‘get fit’, ‘drink less’,  ‘learn to play the guitar’. I half expected to hear ‘I’m going to solve the Middle East crisis’ but didn’t.

Then it was my turn, and all I could think of was: ‘Well, I’m going to put my socks into pairs before putting them in the laundry so I don’t have so many odd socks lying around.’

My friends looked at me. I knew what they were thinking – and if I’m honest I agreed with them. It’s a pathetic resolution. But then maybe that’s what we should aim for. It’s easy. It’s attainable. And it really will make my life better.

Think about it: we’re approaching a month into 2011, and how many resolutions are, even after this short time, still going strong? How many gym membership cards are, at this very moment, being put into wallets never to see the light of day? I have a friend whose attempts at a sober January lasted until January 4.

The main issue is we are too ambitious. I’m not claiming to be a visionary (well, maybe a little) but if we were to think of a small part of our life that we could truly change for good then we could actually stick to it.

Instead people try to give up drinking, when really they just need to give up the fifth glass of wine, or the fourth gin and tonic; they promise to go to the gym every day, when really walking to the shops rather than driving would do.

So next year when you’re making your resolutions, avoid the huge, unrealistic aims and pick something smaller you can keep going and which will better your life.

Image by Florian courtesy of Flickr