HAPPY NEW YEAR: The end of the old year and the beginning of the new one is a time that affects us all in different ways.

For many, January can feel like an anti-climax after the celebrations and pressures of Christmas.

For those who have been lucky enough to have a few days off in December, January can also mean a return to work which does not fill everyone with joy.

Others find it a relief when Christmas is over with and can’t wait to start putting their decorations back in the garage or loft.

Personally I love the new year, as for a long time now I have used it as a time to reflect, reset and think about the year ahead.

In the last few days of the year I like to write down a few of the highlights from the twelve months just gone.

I have found that unless I do this events and times tend to get muddled.

Having a simple list of your own favourite high points can mean that you start to reinforce these memories in your head rather than anything that might have gone less well.

I also like to think about any new friends or interesting people that I have met over the previous year.

This has been a way to remind myself that there are countless inspiring people out there – and every year my path is likely to cross with at least a few of them.

So I take pleasure not just in the people I have already met but also in the people I do not yet know but who will come my way in the year ahead.

In our family we have also started asking a list of questions for the new year. I put my own list in my diary so that I always know where to find it.

Whilst this might sound a slightly bizarre thing to do, it is a habit which has brought me great comfort in the past.

As each question gradually gets answered over the course of the year I am reminded that everything will get resolved eventually and that solutions to challenges exist even when you can’t see them.

Looking back on the lists of previous years reminds me of serious worries in the past which were all sorted out in the end. In the same way, anything that is troubling now will also eventually be resolved, even if I can’t see the solution right now.

Rather than making formal new year’s resolutions, I like to think about goals and wishes for the year which is about to start.

Later in the year I will then often find inspiration from whatever I have written. I have found that it helps me find motivation on occasions when it might otherwise be lacking.

However you are spending the new year and however you feel about it, I would like to wish you all a happy new year and thank anyone who reads this column for your support during 2022.

I hope that 2023 not only starts well for you but is a year in which you remember to look after yourself and when many of your hopes and dreams can be fulfilled!