Why I’ve learned to keep January intentions refreshingly simple…

How is it 2026!?!

It feels like only a couple of months ago that I was debating whether January was the longest month in human history, and now here we are again! Still, at least New Year’s Eve is always a blast…

Mandy and I have been lucky enough to enjoy some truly memorable New Year’s celebrations over the years. In South Africa, one of my favourites was the time we went to Cape St Francis. Sun, sea and sundowners… bliss! There’s really nothing quite like seeing in the New Year with a G&T in hand whilst watching the sun set.

Then there was the time we went skiing in St Johann in Austria to see in the millennium. Let’s just say toboggans and Vodka Red Bulls make for interesting times!

Of course, this all took place long ago, well before children entered the equation, so I was much younger and considerably less wise. These days, I’m fairly sure Riley and Pia could give their old dad a run for his money when it comes to alcohol and late nights!

Despite the more than generous supply of cocktails, I vividly remember the hysteria that surrounded that evening. Mandy and I were among about a hundred other guests, all counting down to midnight whilst quietly wondering whether the lights would go out thanks to the much-hyped Y2K bug.

Of course, the supposed “bug” turned out to be one of the biggest anti-climaxes in history. The world didn’t end, computers didn’t revolt, and civilisation carried on uninterrupted.

Last year’s New Year celebrations were also pretty special. They might not have been quite as wild as the millennium, but Hogmanay in Scotland is always something to behold, and it was a joy to spend time with family whilst exploring my mother’s former stomping ground. Even the extreme stormy weather, which did its best to put a dampener on proceedings, couldn’t dull the occasion.

After the party poppers are swept away and the hangovers subside, attention inevitably shifts from celebration to intention…

Personally, I’ve never really engaged in New Year’s “resolutions” per se. There’s so much hype and pressure attached to them that they often feel designed to fail. So last year, rather than pledging radical self-improvement, I committed to something far simpler: having more fun.

Looking back, I think it’s fair to say I achieved that (and then some!). If you’ve been following my articles over the past 12 months, you’ll know that my wife’s milestone birthday celebration somehow stretched to fill the entire year…

There were plenty of adventures along the way: chasing the Northern Lights by husky sled, wandering the sun-drenched streets of the Italian Riviera, and belting out every lyric at a Kylie concert (Mandy, not me… obviously). My wife and I also made a conscious effort to up the running ante, even heading to Denmark to compete in the Copenhagen Half Marathon, which was a fantastic experience from start to finish.

We’ve certainly packed a lot into the past year, shared plenty of laughter, a few sore legs, and created some genuinely brilliant memories along the way.

So as 2026 gets underway, I see no reason to overcomplicate things. The plan remains very much the same: work hard, play hard. And although Mandy’s year-long birthday bonanza may finally be over, I think we have both come to the realisation that you don’t actually need a milestone birthday as an excuse to do the things you enjoy.

Happy New Year to you all.