It’s that time of year. Resolutions, or our failure to keep them, loom large. Is it possible to lose weight, eat more oily fish, quit smoking, spend more time with our families, take up yoga, adopt mindfulness, go to church every Sunday and keep up that Pilates class – or achieve even one of these classic New Year resolutions?

Sadly, research suggests that many of us abandon our resolve and settle back into our old patterns. A 1988 American study from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that only 19 per cent of those who make resolutions actually fulfil them within two years, and more recent studies find a similar pattern.