I did okay in 2016. The notable win being quitting smoking although that was not something I started until February 15. So I guess I don't need to start my 2017 resolutions right away. that is jolly useful as we still have a bit of Christmas cake and an excellent cheddar cheese from Uncle Chris to finish off. That brings me to resolution one.
I am a type two diabetic and have let things slip over the past year - perhaps to offset the lack of nicotine - I started to re-assert a grip in the autumn but its a long hard fight back. The annoying thing is that back in 2012 I had managed to get this illness under total control. Admittedly that was driven by dramatic weight loss as part of a near nervous breakdown but every cloud should have a silver lining.
And so resolution one is to take my medication faithfully.
Resolution two is to avoid alcohol and sugary drinks (no more ginger beer which, these days, really is my tipple of choice!) until the weight, cholesterol and body sugars are under some sort of control.
Resolution three is to eat more healthily. That starts after this weekend
Resolution four is a financial one. In 2012 when it all went so horribly wrong I reckon that I was worth minus £150,000. The coward's way out would have been to declare myself bankrupt but I did not take that route. I suppose I have too much pride. So these days money is less of a concern.
None the less there are still a few small debts to clear and the Mrs has to find a way to pay for the renovation of the Greek hovel. That is the goal for 2017. Clear all the liabilities. At that point I know that merely by doing the odd bit of scribbling I could support myself and more living in Greece. The downside is protected. If the Mrs wants to "re-align" her career we could call it a day and live from a bit of scribbling and olives. Getting to that place is a resolution in itself. You may say that it is ambitious but I see a pathway, a number of choices that I can make to deliver that. Choices I did not make in 2016 but will in 2017.
Resolution five is to slog my guts out to make UK Investor Show on April 1 a sell out success. We are pretty well advanced in that so it just requires a January "surge" and I think we are there. The deal with the Wray family is that if I can deliver that in 2017, our partnership will see the Wrays deliver far more in 2018 and I can do less and less.
And that brings me to resolution six. Four years ago the idea that I would have the most amazingly kind and stunningly attractive wife and also a three month old son would have seemed the stuff of fantasy. But I do. There are folks who covet wealth and material goods. That is not me. Joshua and the Mrs are far more rewarding. And so they deserve more of my time and I want to spend more time with them. Again wheels are in motion but they will spin far faster in 2017.
The Mrs heads back to work in June. And that will leave me as the primary carer. So less work. More nappy changing. Surely that is not a bad resolution for the New Year, albeit not a common one?
Resolution seven? Take regular exercise. If I lived in Greece that would be easy. There is always work to do in the snake fields and in walking into the village and back I'd burn a stack of calories. But in Britain I do sweet FA. I am a member of a gym but never go. That all has to change.
If I manage 5 of 7 that will be a triumph but after 2016's heroics in quitting smoking - which I thought impossible - I reckon anything is possible.