I was standing in the queue in the grocery store at 18h30 on Friday evening and noticed in amazement that it is only November and that all the stores already had a series of Xmas decorations up. Jingle Bells chiming in the background and the shoppers already annoyed.

I had spent the last year rushing around, accommodating a series of changes at work, writing exams, sorting out Human Resources issues and celebrating my gorgeous son's second birthday.

Yesterday morning I finally made it back to gym (yes - another personal task on the to-do list that seems to get shifted the moment chaos hits). It was more due to the lack of air conditioning in what seems to be the hottest summer we have experienced in Johannesburg that an actual craving to work out. On the way out I completed the computerised fitness assessment and was horrified to notice that I still hadn't lost the weight that I promised myself I would a year ago. And it got me thinking about the reason why…

I am well organised at work, have projects and project lists and a series of deadlines. I have a list of things that I still have to do at home and always feel guilty that I have to leave home as soon as my son gets up and arrive home an hour before he is due to go to bed.

I always joke that it took me almost 13 months to complete reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done.

It was thus that during my Yoga class today that I decided that in lieu of a traditional New Year’s resolution of what I would start doing (i.e. healthy eating plan, start an exercise regime etc) I would focus instead on doing less. Thus my early New Years resolution I will focus on doing one thing less every day. This will include less stress and worry and one less activity to do and spend more time with my husband and my son. It is fascinating that all my friends (female) are complaining that they are becoming more and more productive but never seem to have more time to themselves.

Thus I will ensure that I will worry less about taking some time to myself, I will stop being hard on myself if I slip up with a diet or an exercise plan and worry less about gaining the approval of people that I really should not worry about. Thus 2012 will be the year of KISS (Keeping it simple studid!).