The list has the usual suspects:

• Exercise more
• Diet
• Be more tidy

This often ends up with me running out to the supermarket to buy the latest exercise DVD, and be completely sucked into whatever diet was trending at the time. I would go all out and really believe it would be my saviour and I would finally lose the weight.

For example this year even though I have no intention of changing what I have been doing it’s hard to avoid the hype around the ‘diet on the block’ so to speak. The ‘Dukan’ diet is a name I keep seeing and the ‘Primal Blueprint’ both seems to feature protein, which I agree is a big help to keep hunger at bay.

Other than that to me they are just another fad and not something I could realistically factor into my everyday life. It’s the same with exercise I’ve seen the zumba games and I even got the Michael Jackson experience thinking I would do it as a fun way to get fit. Pfft I’m sorry I am just not prepared to clear the room every time I want to exercise.

These revelations don’t sit easy on my conscience I have to say… it’s almost like the need to send Christmas cards you do it because it’s expected and you don’t want to be the odd one out (ok maybe that’s just my own little issue there, but you know what I mean). Every year at New Year’s we tubbie’s are expected to don the leotards and munch on celery.

One year I even went so far as to ask my mum for a detox kit from boots, another alchemist magic box of potions and lotions that never got past day one. And in true me style by march just before the weather was going to brighten up I thought you know what I will try that detox again, yes I think we can establish I don’t learn from my experiences lol.

Anyway I was going to try it again until I realised I had used up day one, and we all know it wouldn’t work if I didn’t have every day to follow to the letter from the beginning. I think I even took a special trip to boots to see if I could get another one. Can’t tell you if I did or not, but what I do know is what a waste of one of the last presents my mum got to buy me.

So this year breaking from the trend I am not making any resolutions to do with health or fitness, I am not going to set goals –which usually involve some kind of abstinence- I am not going to spend more money on dvd’s I don’t even get past the warm up on. And I am certainly not changing my eating habits or buying a lower-fat version of anything.

This year I am also not going to try and turn myself into the person I think I want to be, uber organised, smart, dare I say it a yummy mummy.  These are all things I feel are imposed on us by the media. We feel we should be these things because it appears that even though some celebs have very busy lives and children they still manage to look immaculate most of the time as well as being successful blah blah.

Well I say baloney to that. Last year my finances and time commitments meant I only got to the hairdressers twice. I haven’t had my eyebrows done since I can remember and in all honestly if I find the time between now and New Year to actually shave my legs I will be happy. I reckon Nas has had his legs clipped more than I’ve shaved my legs this year.

Every year I feel I should implement some kind of routine, you know the kind: muck out, exercise, walk the dogs, tidy house, feed the family… then collapse. I can usually maintain this for a few days until I burn out, not from exhaustion but from trying to follow a routine. When there are so many outside factors ‘uh oh hubby wants to go to work when I have scheduled walking the dogs’ That type of thing and obviously the house of cards I built all falls down , its then you find me in the sweet shop.

So again this year there will be no trying to create a routine. I am going to focus on living my life while still doing the things I need to do and without fail this year I will be doing some of the things I want to do. I really found last year that the key to running the house successfully is to just keep ticking over, say for instance in the 20mins I have before the school run I can do a quick tidy through and sort the washing out.

One of my biggest mantras has been ‘stop thinking about it and do it’ not matter how much  I sit there thinking I don’t want to do something ultimately in the end I have to do it. So why spend an hour getting down on myself when I could just do it. And then spend an hour reading a book or even another chore.

Procrastinating is and always has been one of my biggest flaws, this year however I am not going to attack it head on like I usually do. I am going to try and keep in mind what reminds me why I am outside mucking out why everyone is indoors relaxing.  Or why I am writing a post, listing on eBay etc. at the end of the day it’s all for me and greater good of my family (cliché I know)

But I really understand the importance of that now, and what we all want and need to have enjoyable lives. We all need quality time with one another; we all need time without stress shut down time, where all that matters is the here and now. Sure we have stress and worry over things but some of them are out of our control. And as long as we know we are doing what we can about the others there is no reason why we should let it infringe on our day to day lives.

Another new mantra for this year is ‘it’s easier to face the things you are running from than to keep running’ now you would think I am really into sayings and quotes etc. no not really these are just poignant words I hear while watching TV or that just come to me and spark something inside.

In fact the constant barrage of quotes and phrases you get on twitter/Facebook etc. really annoy me.  When I am on these things it’s because I want interaction with people something to lighten my day or even something that engages a conversation. Sorry just found another one of my soap boxes, one day I will go further into this.

For now though these are the main ones that I can think of right now

• Stop thinking about it and do it.
• It’s easier to face the things you are running from than to keep running.
• Live your life.

And obviously the biggest one ACCEPTANCE… accepting who I am and I don’t need to change myself to be a better person, I just need to look at things from a different angle just because so and so lost weight doing it on a diet doesn’t mean I have to. Just because people go to the gym to get fit doesn’t mean I have to.

2012 I am going to do the things that make me happy… walking the dogs along the beach, pottering about on the yard, grooming and exercising Nas, taking Horatio and Spirit to shows. Playing games and watching films with my family. Eating cake and chocolates as well as fruit and vegetables.

This year I am not changing myself, I am going to be ME!