Yes it’s that time of year again. The period right before the New Year Arrives and we all scramble around to become a better version of ourselves. We vow to lose weight or go sky-diving or save all our money and never spend again. Well, why set yourself up for disappointment in 2017 with a unobtainable goal. We have five much easier, much more realistic resolutions for you to take.

1. Take an 18-day holiday in 2017. To get in on the sneaky trick, simply book Tuesday April 18 – Friday April 28 off from work. In 2017, Good Friday falls on April 14, meaning your last day of work will actually be April 13. This is then followed by the weekend, plus a bank holiday on April 17 to mark Easter Monday. Finally, you’ll be able to finish your extended break with yet another bank holiday, as May Bank Holiday falls on Monday May 1.

2. Get out of the house more. Yes it’s cold. Yes you’re full of Christmas food and chocolate. But studies show that spending time in nature does a lot of overall good for your mental health. So get outside and get happy.

3. Stop driving and texting. No seriously, the law is changing in 2017 and drivers caught using handheld mobile phones in Britain are to face much tougher penalties, with fines and points doubling. Under new rules expected to come in next year, drivers will get six points on their licence and face a £200 fine.

4. Learn to drive. Gaining skills in life is getting harder and the tests are getting harder so if your only reason for getting your driving licence is to avoid a harder test a few years down the line, then we would suggest get it done soon. If you don’t have much time then many driving schools now offer intensive one-week courses to help you pass your test quickly.

5. Stop paying ridiculous amounts for travel. Using tools like travelsupermarket.com you can get the best deal on hotels, flights, car hire, you name it. We have a whole blog dedicated to travelling on a budget here so there’s no excuse not to take that trip of a lifetime in 2017 just like you always resolve to do.