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This is the time of year when everyone assesses what they’ve done in 2007 and lists their plans for 2008. I’m no exception, and yet I don’t really believe in making New Year’s resolutions. That’s because I find it hard to buy into the notion that the passage of time between midnight on Dec 31st one year and 1 minute past midnight on January 1st in the next year is suddenly going to change me.

I’m more of a realist and I know that making several resolutions is likely to paralyse me into inaction. (That gut feeling has been borne out by recent research in the UK that shows that people who make a single resolution are more likely to keep it than those who make dozens.)

In addition, I believe that you can make changes at any point during the year - you just have to be ready to do it. So instead of making resolutions, I have a list of things I’d like to achieve during the year. Some of these are personal goals, like sticking to a fitness program (something I started in October), while others are professional, to do with growing my writing business.

I’m not making a big song and dance about them, because that won’t help me to keep them. Instead, I will make a list, stick it up on the notice board in my office, and keep it as a reminder of my plans. I accept that plans and priorities will change, but I think that’s the best way for me to achieve measurable change in 2008. So that’s my two cents’ worth. What are your goals for the next year - and will you be using New Year’s resolutions as a call to action?