New Year’s resolutions

According to a study conducted by the team behind fitness app Strava, the day people are most likely to give up on their New Year’s resolutions is 19 January.

I’m not usually one for resolutions; I’m more inclined to give something up for lent, because that has a finite time period – unless, like last year, I make a change initially for lent, which then becomes permanent (I reduced the amount of sugar I have in tea).

January is just a rubbish time of year to be making grand, sweeping lifestyle changes, so it’s understandable when so many people cave in after such a short period of time. Everyone’s skint, the weather’s miserable and there’s still loads of chocolate left over from Christmas, so it’s an utterly depressing time to go on a crash diet or start a new-found love for running.

Also, the gyms are packed with those who have resolved to get fit this year, so I think I’ll stay away until February (that’s my excuse anyway).

New who?

Other than the classic “go on a diet”, “get fit” and “save money” resolutions, some people have very specific ones, like my partner’s idea of learning to cook a dish from every country in the world.

This seemed like a great ambition to embark on, until we read that the national dish of Vanuatu (where?!) involved breadfruit and yam roots (among other things) cooked in an underground stone oven… we might struggle a bit with that one!

Our four-legged friends can’t make their own resolutions; they are, in fact, blissfully unaware of the concept – but if my cats were to have such things, I’m sure extended naps would be a high priority.

Animal aims

I do wonder whether many owners make resolutions that involve their pets.

A friend recently asked what I thought of her running with her dog, as she’s starting to train for a marathon, but how many people make resolutions specifically for their pets – be that to walk their dogs more, get the excess weight off their obese Labrador retriever or finally get around to having the cat microchipped?

Pet obesity is a huge problem in the UK, so many pets would definitely benefit if their owners resolved to get them to a healthy weight instead of focusing on their own transient New Year’s resolutions that won’t last beyond mid-January.

Going green

This year, I have made a resolution to be a more sustainable vet.

I’ve begun to consider ways I can make my practice greener (see my last blog post, “Sustainable veterinary”), and I’ve already made a few changes at home – switching from cat meat pouches to tins, which are more easily recycled; ditching make-up wipes for a reusable, washable microfibre cloth; switching to recycled toilet paper; and embarking on “meat-free Mondays” – but the more I read about sustainable living, the more I start to re-evaluate everything we have in the home.

Every time I use something up, I’m considering whether a more ethical or eco-friendly replacement exists, whether it’s produced locally, if the packaging is recycled and recyclable, or whether a zero waste or plastic-free option is available.

I’ve never really analysed everything I buy in such detail (beyond cost and trying to buy British meat, where possible) and my brain is spinning every time I look at a disposable razor, but that makes me all the more determined to alter some of my buying and living habits.

Keeping it real

As with any resolution, you have to be realistic: if you’ve never run a distance race in your life and want to do a marathon on 1 February, it’s just not going to happen – you’re just setting yourself up to fail.

For me, I’m trying to take small steps and change things a bit at a time at home, which is also how I plan to tackle going greener at work, too.

So, if you have made a resolution (either for yourself or your pet), good luck! And if you haven’t, try one for February – make it realistic and try to stick to it.