Karma chameleon

It’s that time of year when everyone decides to turn over a new leaf. Hannah Palmer puts together some ideas of how to accomplish those goals and get some great results

Above: Jump for joy

January is always a difficult month. The cold weather is setting in and the energy needed to put New Year’s resolutions into action is all being used digesting leftovers. But getting things back on track shouldn’t be so daunting; if the thought of joining the gym or finding a more fulfilling job fills you with dread then why not try something a bit different? Instead of spending hours on the treadmill, find out about horse riding in the centre of London. Think tight white jodhpurs over toned thighs, hacking along Rotten Row and the five miles of bridleway through Hyde Park. Visit www.hydeparkstables.com for more details.

Or if you fancy something a little more refreshing, become a member of the Serpentine Swimming Club. Take a dip every morning and you’ll probably burn more calories keeping warm than you will pounding out lengths – but the smug feeling in the office will be worth it. www.serpentineswimmingclub.com

An active lifestyle needs to be complemented by suitable nutritional intake. If you’ve been struggling with fad diets for years then make an appointment with Charlotte Fraser. She’s a practitioner in Naturopathic Nutrition,

www.naturopathic-nutrition.com a form of treatment that helps you restore the natural balance of your body through changes in diet. It can help with everything from losing weight to stress and illness, aiming to get to the roots of problems, preventing rather than curing.

A new approach to eating means a new approach to food shopping but we often don’t have time to trawl the aisles looking for locally-grown, organic, in season, low fat, value for money goods. But never fear, Pure Package has the solution. If you give them your dietary requirements they will tailor whole menus to your needs (whether that’s losing weight or training for the London marathon) and deliver three healthy meals and snacks to your door everyday. www.purepackage.com

Once you’re looking good and feeling healthy then it is time to revamp the wardrobe and make sure that you’re not hiding your figure under layers of baggy jumpers or still wearing something that should have been ditched in the 80s. Y.shop,

www.y-shop.co.uk is a personal shopping company that will take you step-by-step through what can often be a daunting experience. They’ll help you find what styles and colours look best on you, show you the perfect places to find your new styles and even get you discounts at certain designer stores.

There’s no point getting rid of the shoulder pads and investing in a sharp new suit however, if you hate your job. It’s time to either move up or move out and there’s no better way to make yourself employable than learning a new language. King’s College (www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/mlc/evening/courses.html) offer evening classes in sixteen different languages from Arabic to Spanish and Mandarin, giving you skills that could take you around the world.

If all this talk of New Year, new you seems a bit me, me, me then make sure that while you’re improving yourself, you’re also helping to improve the environment. The newest green gadget is the Wattson www.diykyoto.com, a stylish box that can tell you exactly how much energy your home is using, in watts or pounds... ouch! You’ll be able to see how much that plasma screen TV is really costing you and how much you could save by not leaving the electricals on standby.

After all that you should be feeling great, looking healthy, dressing to impress and helping the environment. It’s tiring work sorting your life out which means it must be time to kick back and relax with a good book. 52 Ways to Change Your Life: A Life Coaching Year by Anne Sutton is available from www.nealsyardremedies.com could give you even more ideas.