Last year I only had two resolutions: Lose 15lbs and get a dog.

I lost the 15 lbs. In fact I lost 22 lbs. It took me until September but I did it.

Unfortunately we didn't get the dog. We did everything we possibly could, but when you want a rare breed puppy, you get to the stage where you just have to wait. To my knowledge there are still no current pregnancies, so we will just have to be patient.

2006 was a fairly quiet year (by my standards) and 2007 is set to be utterly, heartbreakingly hectic. I'm still working part time and looking after Izzy part time. This year I'm doing 75 points of OU study, more than I have ever attempted in a single year before, and it's at level 2 so it is also harder than all the stuff I've done previously. We're planning to move house, which means we need to step up the DIY on our current house and also go through all the hassle of putting the house on the market, packing and moving. Oh, and we are hopefully getting that puppy as well, which is almost as much work as having another baby.

So, here's a few more goals:

1. Don't put all that weight back on or start smoking again. I really mean it this time. I want to get my suitcase down from the loft in June and be able to fit into all my summer clothes. I am so sick of losing weight, regaining it, losing it again, I AM NOT DOING IT AGAIN. As for smoking, I think I've really beaten it this time. Recently, I've had the odd one, and not been able to smoke more than a puff or two because it tastes so disgusting. When the smoking ban in pubs comes into force later this year, I think that'll make it even easier.

2. Get an Estrela Mountain Dog puppy. This year I know the breed, I'm on the breeder's waiting lists and I've got a load of puppy equipment and toys already bought. This is the year. I know it.

3. Spend less money on food. This is a tricky one, because I love cooking and eating, but lately our food bills have been getting a bit stupid. I'm pretty sure that you can eat nice, healthy, interesting, varied meals without spending up to £100/week. There's only three of us, and one of us is a child! I want to get it down to say, £60 or £70. I just need to be more economical, plan more carefully and (maybe) buy less booze.

4. Eat more oily fish. When I did my nutrition courses earlier this year, I learned a lot of stuff about Omega-3, and basically it is really fucking important for young children. Without turning this into a science lecture, Omega-3 fatty acids can't be made by your body. Oily fish are the best source of essential fatty acids. Here is an article with more information if you're interested. We already eat oily fish at least once a week and buy milk enriched with Omega-3. I'm aiming to increase our consumption of oily fish to at least twice a week. It's a start.

5. Be more assertive. This is quite funny because most people would say I'm a very assertive person, and I am - about some things. This year I've ended up doing a number of things which actually I didn't want to, mostly because I allowed myself to be talked into it. It upsets me later and I tie myself up in knots, not wanting to let anybody down and ending up sacrificing my own wellbeing. It is unhealthy and I'm going to stop doing it.

6. Be more decisive. Sometimes when I'm faced with a decision - even something relatively simple, like 'should I study or go to the gym instead?', I get into a sort of panicky dithering state where I just can't make a decision. Sometimes this goes on for so long that I end up doing neither. It is inefficient and it annoys the pants off Mattgreen. This year, I'm going to try to stop doing it. When I can't decide, I'm just going to make a snap decision either way and go with the flow. It's better than arsing around and getting more and more flustered and irresolute.

I think that'll do. That's enough to keep me busy.
To be honest, if I only manage to achieve the first one then I'd still be happy.