What are your intentions?

I was out and about this weekend, having finally dragged myself off the couch, where I’m afraid I’ve been languishing for the past few weeks, dealing with the emotional upheaval of a relationship break-up over Christmas and a bad start to the New Year.

Having re-read some of my own articles on looking after yourself... I decided to do one of the things I’ve been intending to do for a while. I went out and did some volunteering work for the local Wildlife Trust. I spent the whole day on Sunday clearing an area of scrub on our local Downs in Sussex, England (actually misnamed, because they’re hills).

For a New Year's resolution, if you want to get fit, lose weight and help the community and the environment, then why not get out and help your local conservation organisation. It was great. Yes, it was hard work but it was great fun, good to be outside, a great bunch of people and the satisfaction at the end of the day, of a job well done and the joy of feeling physically tired rather than mentally or emotionally tired. I soaked in a hot bath to ease my aching muscles and amazingly could still walk the following day having had a good night's sleep.

Every now and then I get spurred into action – all those things I’ve been putting off, delaying for when I have more time. I finally dug out the information I needed, found the person I needed to contact, called them and got the details to make it happen. Amazing what a burst of enthusiasm can achieve.

What have you been intending to do that you haven’t got around to for one reason or another? New Year is when we set the best of intentions. What do you ‘intend’ to do this year and what could you do to make it happen this week?!

What is the first step you need to take?

Go on – do it now!