New year wishes

Who needs resolutions when you can do more, bigger, better

I don’t know about you, but I’m not mad keen on New Year New Me nonsense. I’m all about the same ‘ol me, attempting to be a little bit older and wiser with mixed results. The new year will also never start with self deprivation. I can’t think of a worse month than January for self flagellation and self denial. Alcohol, food and exercise will all feature in moderation in my daily life as they do during the rest of the year.

I do, however, take stock of how the year has gone around this time by painstakingly completing Year Compass. If you haven’t attempted one, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a free downloadable document that provides a framework to help review the year just gone and set some broad guidelines for the one ahead. Always good to have a modicum of a plan, even though mine typically never seem to turn out as intended (sometimes far better, to be fair).

There is also some sense in ramping up what’s working, and tone down what isn’t. I instituted five new rules this year, which have dramatically improved my productivity and focus and I’ll be carrying into 2025:

1. No engaging with unidentifiable internet trolls: Let’s see who you are and what you do before I waste breath, headspace and energy.

2. No investing time in anything that or anyone who doesn’t return the favour / appreciate it: Time is money etc, last I checked my bank balance we are still in a cost-of-living crisis.

3. Strict limits on social media time: I have two phones now. The main one is mostly switched on during work hours and when I’m not writing. The personal one (nicknamed the burner by my outrageous friends) is in use OOO and has no emails or social media on it.

4. Scheduled time for reading and writing: First thing in the morning after exercise for writing, lunchtime at home or in the park for reading and evenings in the company of said burner.

5. Eat more plants and experiment with new ones, standing strong in the face of fierce opposition from feral teens: I think I’ve said enough here.

So, what good things are you carrying into the new year?

I’ve been a bit lax writing newsletters and will be better in 2025. I am, however, enjoying the Notes App. Thank you for your patience with me.

Here are some things that are worth noting, reading and listening to that I’ve come across:

• We don’t think about barrels of crude oil and natural gas cylinders when we bite into an apple but fossil fuels are the hidden ingredient behind all of our food, which contribute to climate change, nature and biodoversity loss. The folks at IPES-Food, Table and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food created an engaging podcast called Fuel to Fork, which is well worth a listen.

• There were so many issues with two entrepreneurs pitching their Bubble Tea product on Canadian Dragon’s Den, that I wouldn’t have known where to start dissecting it for you. Good thing Buzzfeed did an excellent job of sharing the incident and Bon Appetit did an even better job of analysing what went wrong. Worth a read. I took some abuse from unidentified internet trolls for sharing this on my Insta - ignored.

• Not one but two studies - Food Foundation and University College London - looked at alternatives sources of meat protein and came to the same conclusion, that beans and peas offer the best option for our health, pockets and the environment. Interestingly, the Food Foundation report also found that a lot of of the poor nutrition accusations levelled against processed alternatives were overblown so it’s worth checking the labels and getting educated about what’s in each product.

• And finally, I was all over my friend Dr Rupy Aujla’s YouTube and Instagram channel after a day spent in his studio cooking and chatting with him. I made kale and beans with harissa and tamari, and a sublime lentil and butternut squash stew inspired by Dalma of Odisha. I hope you’ll enjoy the recipes and videos.

Wishing you an excellent 2025. Here’s to more, bigger and better next year.