Forget about New Year resolutions, go for petite personal mantras

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Nineteen days have passed into this new year. Already for many of us, our resolutions, although extremely noble, have sadly gone to pot.

That new gym membership is now an expense we are trying to cancel, that dry January with nary a drop of whiskey or wine touching our lips lasted for less than a week, our aim to give up meat flopped when our dear friend grilled steaks, while our newfound, promised patience blew up on Day 12. Our annual overhaul of ourselves is over.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 19, 2020, with the headline Forget about New Year resolutions, go for petite personal mantras. Subscribe