After decades of failed New Year’s resolutions, is it mad to keep making them?

Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Selina Denman: “I’ve been making the same New Year’s resolutions for more than a decade, but this is definitely going to be the year I lose 10kg, reduce the amount of meat I eat, make more time for friends and loved ones, climb another mountain, practise regular self care, learn a new skill, etc, etc.”

Cliched as it may be, I’m a sucker for a bit of “new year, new me” thinking. Come January 2 (not January 1, that’s just too much pressure), I’m filled with a renewed sense of optimism and enthusiasm. Even though, on an intellectual level, I know it’s no different than any other day, it still feels like a blank slate — a real opportunity to implement lasting change.

I tend to overcompensate, despite the urging of most self-help professionals. My resolutions are ambitious, often verging on the impossible, and there are lots of them. Why settle for two or three small, manageable changes when you can go for 10 largely unattainable ones? Go big or go bust, I say.

And bust is normally where I find myself around mid February. After the shine of Veganuary has worn off, the demands of work and commuting start eating into all that planned gym time, and my vow to manage my Starbucks intake drowns in a vat of mocha frappucinos, I find myself pretty close to square one.

Still, you can’t blame a girl for trying. And despite my years of failure, I continue to think it is worth making those resolutions. It forces me, on an annual basis, to take stock of where I am and where I’d like to be. It encourages me to strive for change. And while I rarely actually see any of my resolutions through, sometimes incremental progress is made in the process.

As a lifelong nicotine addict, quitting smoking has been on my list of resolutions since I was in my early twenties. Most years, I don’t make it past the end of January 2, but a couple of times, I have managed to stop for more prolonged periods — once for six years and once for two. And while I invariably found myself back on the tar-laden bandwagon, eight years of not smoking is better than none. I will take that as a success.

And so, once again, I’ve kicked off the year with Veganuary, hoping it will encourage me to eat much less meat long after the end of the month has come and gone. Less than a week in and I’m already considering massaging the parameters to allow myself to consume a bit of cheese. Ho-hum.

I’ve bought a monthly package at my local dance studio, hoping the upfront investment will force me to do at least three classes a week. Dh500-plus down the drain, no doubt.

I’ve started logging calories and have dusted off my gratitude journal and put it on the bedside table, in the hope that I may have some inspiring thoughts to jot down at some point.

Einstein might call it insanity, but I like to think of my commitment to making resolutions as a sign of my eternal optimism. There’s always room for self-improvement, even if 20-plus years of past experience might suggest otherwise.

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How to apply for a drone permit

Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
Submit their request

What are the regulations?

Fly it within visual line of sight
Never over populated areas
Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
Should have a live feed of the drone flight
Drones must weigh 5 kg or less

Tamkeen's offering

Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).