COLUMN: Celebrating January in style - setting sensible resolutions for the new year - Kilkenny Live

January is a time for new beginnings with new year's resolutions the order of the day. Whether it's giving up the biscuits, starting a new fitness regime or dumping the booze, we all feel compelled to make some sort of human sacrifice. But, are we putting ourselves under unnecessary pressure at a time of year that is already difficult for so many.

The nights are dark, the Christmas lights are back in storage and the December 'hello, how are you keeping?' is swapped by a mere grunt when you greet people on the street. That’s January ladies and gentlemen. It’s the first month of the year and arguably the most difficult hurdle to the jump so I must admit, setting almighty expectations of ourselves seems like the last thing we should be doing.

On January 1, as I walked out of my front door with a food coma of epic proportions, I was struck by the sheer volume of runners of all creeds bombing up and down the streets of Kilkenny. 'Wow, fair play, I wish I had that level of drive' was my instant reaction. But, as I continued on my snail's pace stroll around the city, my mind began to spin quicker than a uni-cycle, with doubts swirling across my mind.

Headlining a number of thoughts that crossed my mind was, 'why now?' Yes, one could take the view the very first day of a new year is the ideal time to change your ways. However, we don’t live in a idealistic world do we? While some will have the staying power to nurture their new habits in the long term, many more will be back on the sofa supping coke and gobbling Maltesers by February. That by no means people who don't stick out are failures, it simply means they're human.

I for one will not use valuable typing time to preach to the masses of Kilkenny. I eat too much, watch too much TV and waste many precious hours on the flat of my back indulging in a lengthy Netflix series. So, who am I to speak? Yes, you're right, but I may have one useful trait your fitness guru, nutritionist or shrink doesn't have. I share your pain!

I too want to be fitter, leaner and improve my overall health but crucially, I didn't self inflict the pressure of a January 1 start date. This by no means applies to everyone but for so many, the high bar set is simply unjumpable. You wouldn't transfer a third division footballer to a Champions League club overnight. A lengthy, challenging road lies ahead first, the biggest bump being December, as society indulgences in some of life's greatest pleasure and waste line expanders.

So, what am I waffling on about you may be asking? Well, I strongly feel the key to success is by going at your own speed and in your time. April 12 is just as good a time to start as January 1.

The gym gurus, nutritionists and all the other support measures you may need will still be there. Turning into a reformed person at 12.01am on New Year's Day is unrealistic and a recipe for disaster, offering little time to prepare yourself physically and mentally. "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail."

For 2024, I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I want to be healthier and fitter. When will I start? I don't know. I've taken the approach of gradually picking up the good habits I aspire to have. Not going completely dry on alcohol but lowering my intake, not sacrificing my weekly bag of chips but limiting the portion size and perhaps due to ability more so than will, slowly running the roads rather than setting an Olympic sprint world record.

We're all living an ongoing challenge. There's no such thing as easy when it comes to life. Our relatively short stay on planet earth should make us think more about being kind to one another and ourselves. I can't help but feel what began as a good intentioned theory, setting your goals for the new year, has been hijacked by the commercial world highlighting it on levels of epic proportions and creating competition between people in society.

If you're thinking of or have set your new year's resolution for 2024, before thinking big and aiming for the stars, why not start small? Begin by saying, 'this is for me and nobody else'. Johnny's new six pack or Martina's nightly runs around the Ring Road are highly admirable but it's not your concern!

Keep the phrase 'compare and contrast' to your Leaving Certificate English questions because introducing it to the real world may just be your downfall.