Each New Year brings the opportunity to start fresh; bust out new notepads, buy new pens and adopt a new attitude.

It brings the promise of a clean slate; a whole year to forge a different direction. It’s almost as exciting as the New Year’s Eve fireworks!

Here are my top tips for making the most of your fresh start:

1.  Get clear about what you want to achieve in the New Year

When you are clear about where you want to be by 31^st December this year, it gives you a compass for the whole year. Each time you have to make a decision, you can ask yourself ‘will this bring me closer to X?’

Bonus Tip: put this goal in a spot where you will see it all the time. The constant reminder will help to keep you on track.

2.  Throw out the old

January is a great time for a big cleanse. To herald all the new in-comings, first you must depart with the old. Get rid of the piles of ‘filing’, organise your draws and clear your working space. Make 2014 the year of soft copies only. If you have old papers you want to keep, scan them, save them and then toss the hard copies.

3. Develop some healthy work habit

Starting January, make a promise to yourself about how many times a day you will check emails. Are you following the recommendations about getting up and moving around during the day? When was the last time you had lunch away from your desk? Put yourself and your health first; by the end of the year, it will be amazing what a difference those small habits make!

So what do you want to achieve in 2014? Share with me your top goals below and what healthy habits you will be starting. There’s no time like the present to get cracking!

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