New Year’s resolutions – a good thing or a massive waste of time? Dorchester people, it’s your call.

A friend of mine, Gina, made it her resolution to catch up with friends she’d lost touch with over the years. She had a great time, tracking them down, looking them all up and then making contact again.

‘It was good to see people after all this time," she says. "But then I began to realise why we lost touch in the first place. We had nothing in common."

This year, her resolution is to be more sociable with the friends she has now.

“We’re forming a book club and going to the library and Waterstones for a list of books they recommend.

“The other thing I’m doing is getting a fun cycling club up together. We’re planning to set off at 11am from a designated place each Sunday, cycle around for a bit, go to a pub and then wobble home. Great fun.”

So she’s off to Halfords and Dorchester Cycles after Christmas to look for a bike.

In the past, new year’s resolutions were all about what we should stop doing – stop eating so much, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop nail biting. What a negative start to the year! It’s no wonder people give up halfway through January.

So put a positive spin on your resolutions. You’re more likely to stick to them. And make them fun.

Get healthier – join your local slimming club, the leisure centre or the gym.

If you feel good about yourself, you feel better about life in general.

Go to the cinema more often – head off to the Plaza and support your local picture house. We’re lucky to have a facility like this in Dorchester, so we should use it more often.

Save up your pennies and go out for a meal once a month with family or friends. Take a look at our business directory for some recommendations.

If you need help with giving up smoking, those lovely people at Dorset SmokeStop can help. They don’t pressurise you, they have loads of experience and can really help you break that horrible (and expensive) habit.

So at the end of the Christmas break, sit down and think about how you want the year to pan out. And don't beat yourself up, it's not worth it.

Picture: husin.sani, Flickr