What is your New Year Resolution? (From The Argus)

What is your New Year Resolution?

3:02pm Tuesday 1st January 2013 in News By Ben Parsons

Leading figures in Sussex have revealed their New Year’s resolutions, ranging from taking up fencing to getting married.

None of those who took part in The Argus’s snap poll was on trend when it came to their aims.

Nationally reading more books and saving money are this year’s most popular resolutions – while taking better photos and selling unwanted things on eBay were also high in people’s minds.

Losing weight and giving up smoking were once the most popular resolutions.

But a fall in the popularity of smoking and a trend for people to diet all year round mean they have been usurped, with dieting third in the rankings and quitting cigarettes 26th, below chocolate and alcohol on people’s health hit lists.

The survey found nearly a quarter of people wanted to go travelling and 11% wanted more time to read the Sunday papers.

But 60% of respondents said they were not making a traditional NewYear’s Resolution at all.

And the average person breaks their resolution within five weeks.

Two thirds of people said they wanted to make gradual improvements, rather than setting unrealistic targets.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservative group on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “My resolution is time management. I’m always trying to cram everything in.”

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company, said: “My resolution is to work hard and make the most of the next three months because they will be my last working for Brighton and Hove Bus Company.”

Simon Fanshawe, who was made an OBE in the New Year Honours list for his work as chairman of the Council of the University of Sussex, said: “It’s a multiple resolution: to stay healthy, to marry my boyfriend in June and to eat less carbs.”

Trevor Weeks, director of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service, said: “This year’s New Year’s Resolutions is to try and lose some weight, keep my blood pressure down and be less stressed but also to try and be more positive.

“I’m also going to try and spend more time working with our volunteers and improving our training and education work as well our knowledge of casualty care.”

Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, Sussex Police city commander for Brighton and Hove, is retiring in March this year.

He said: “Mine would be to leave the policing of Brighton and Hove in good shape and good hands upon my retirement.”

Crime author Peter James said: “To try to deliver my next Roy Grace novel on time to my publishers, instead of three months late as I am normally every year!”

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “My New Year’s Resolution is to take up fencing again.

“I haven’t done it since my school days so if Argus readers know of any classes locally, I’d be grateful.”

Andy Winter, chief executive of Brighton Housing Trust, said: “To obey my PA, Anna, more! And to aim to implement this from a wise person: ‘People will rarely remember what you said or did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’”