For me, at least!

I’ve made plenty of New Year’s resolutions over the years.

Most people have.

And if I’m honest, I’ve broken almost all of them.

Stop vaping. Drink less. Stress less. Do more of this, less of that…

They’re all familiar, and they’re all well-intentioned. The problem is, good intentions don’t tend to survive contact with real life.

The truth is, I don’t wait for January to set goals. I’m constantly reassessing what I’m doing, where I am, and whether I’m moving in the right direction. That’s just how my brain works.

So the idea that one specific day of the year suddenly changes everything has never really made sense to me.

That said, I do think there’s value in setting objectives you can actually stick to. If you’re going to make a resolution, make it SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Otherwise, it’s just another promise you already know you’re going to break.

On the work side, I do have a clear focus for the year ahead. In 2026, I want to be part of the solution when it comes to normalising live facial recognition across the retail sector. That means working hard to support its responsible use, helping the industry understand it, and making sure it’s implemented properly.

Personally, I already go to the gym, so I don’t need a resolution for that. It’s a habit. And that’s really the difference. The things that stick aren’t resolutions, they’re just routines.

I also know myself well enough to be realistic. I’m not going to stop drinking entirely. I don’t want to. I enjoy it, it’s social, and it’s part of life. Setting goals you don’t believe in is just setting yourself up to fail.

What I do like, though, is having things to look forward to: trips, experiences, time with family. Next year has some good ones lined up, and that matters more to me than ticking boxes on a list.

So if I had to sum it up, I’d say this: don’t rely on January to fix things. Build habits you can live with and set goals that mean something. And if you’re going to change something, make sure it’s because you genuinely want to, not because the calendar tells you to.

That’s usually where progress actually starts…