In this new year...

In this new year

I will

not check Twitter

while the kids are splashing

in the bath

and put away

the phone and iPad and laptop

by 10pm

and go to bed

counting

the things

I have been thankful for

today

and try to remember

to do the laundry

and give up

Amazon.co.uk

and walk more

and try again

to grow vegetables

and embrace

disappointments

lightly

and spend a day

each month

with some nuns

and hand-write

plenty of thank-you notes

and pray

for those

I've said

I'll pray for

and go swimming

in the odd gap

in my working week

and grab

more chances

to go on hot dates

with my wife

and think twice

in the middle

of arguments

and turn anger

into action

and not just retweets

on Twitter

and work on

quality not quantity

with friends

and strangers

and knock

on more doors

to find out

what

my neighbours

care about

and take

the time

to read

novels

and poems

and spend

more time

eating and drinking

and pick up

some new

jokes

and celebrate

more

of the small things

and breathe

more consciously

and write

a PhD

and less

ambitious

'To do' lists