Happy You Year

With family and friends slavishly looked after this festive season, it's now time to concentrate on No 1 – so here are ten top tips to get the best out of yourself in 2008.

IF the mantra 'new year, new you' sounds a little tired to you, here's a statistic that might explain why: according to a recent survey, of seven million people who opted to make a new year's resolution, in half of those cases it was the same one as the year before. Another report showed that one in four people abandoned their goal within a week.

In a bid to keep us on the righteous path to self-discovery, a slew of self-help books is on hand to provide a guiding light towards a happy and healthy year ahead. One such tome comes courtesy of well-being gurus Neal's Yard Remedies.

In 52 Ways to Handle It, life coach Annabel Sutton offers some tips on how to better your life 365 days of the year. Here is her top ten:

Great beginnings

"The way in which you start the day sets you up for the day ahead," says Sutton. Start your day with meditation, yoga or a gentle stroll before work.

Understand that there's no such thing as a wrong decision

In her best-selling book Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, fellow life coach Susan Jeffers suggests that when making a decision, we tend to see things as a right or wrong choice. In line with Jeffers' thinking, Sutton suggests we abandon any preconceived ideas and realise that either answer holds its own potentials: "Either way, there will be new things to learn, new people to meet and new opportunities open to you."

Do something fabulous

It may sound simple but people are so consumed by career expectations, they don't make time for anything else. Sutton suggests trying something totally different for a day, no matter how simple: buy and plant a tree, enjoy a hot-air balloon ride, go on a weekend retreat or sign up for a reflexology session.

Work towards a single, daily action

According to Sutton's year-round bible, with enough organisation and motivation something is achievable every single day. If you have a specific goal, set yourself a realistic target. For example, if you want to write a novel, begin with a paragraph a day. "Not only will you feel more positive," Sutton says, "you will start to see the results."

Edinburgh-based business coach Kate French agrees: "You are 80% more likely to achieve your goal if you've written what you want to achieve and by when, and ideally somewhere you can read it every day. Or find a picture that captures your goal, as images can sometimes stimulate your imagination and motivation better than words."

Beware the 'shoulds'

Be wary of the temptation to do something simply because you feel you should do it, warns Sutton. "The things that we love to do are never 'shoulds'. These are things that we look forward to and which give us energy," she explains. Shoulds, she concludes are "energy drainers". So, next time you catch yourself using the word "should", replace it with "could" instead and give yourself the element of choice.

Say yes to you

"Whether you're trying to improve the way you manage your time, your work-life balance, or your self-confidence, I guarantee that learning to say 'no' will make a massive difference," says Sutton. If you are unsure about something, play for time. If you say yes to one thing (longer hours at work, for example), you are effectively saying no to something else (time with your kids or your friends). Statistics from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation suggest that five million Brits admit to a touch of ergophobia (fear of work), so make sure 2008 finds you on a healthier path in the office.

Make just one change

Opt to get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way, make your money work for you, or use that gym membership that has been lying dormant since last new year. In a bid to spur yourself on, Sutton suggests telling your family and friends your plan as an added incentive. Kate French says: "Just as a trouble shared is a trouble halved, reaching a goal can seem less daunting if someone is going through the experience with you."

Consider what you're tolerating

"Tolerations irritate and frustrate us," says Sutton, and these can be as basic as an overdue letter or conversation, or a cluttered desk. Make a list of things in your life that you are merely tolerating – big or small – and pick five of those things to eradicate completely from your life. Repeat this cycle every three to four months.

Capture your ideas

In today's fast pace of life, it can be all too easy for a great idea to pass us by. Carry a small notebook and scribble down ideas as and when they come to you.

Settle on a one-year vision

"As one year finishes and another is about to begin, this can be an ideal time to do something about what you would like in the year to come," says Sutton. Think big and don't limit yourself. Imagine it any way you like with lists, bullet points or pictures, and then decide how realistic it is for these things to be achieved.

52 Ways to Handle It by Annabel Sutton (£6.50, Winter Press) is available at Neal's Yard Remedies (www.nealsyardremedies.com)