When does it become counterproductive to stick to a resolution? I’ve been asking myself this recently, as my resolve has become stale and dutiful. That is the trouble with making a rule. My resolution was to spot five different kinds of bird a day, and not just to spot but to observe them, note details of their appearance or behaviour. For several weeks this worked wonderfully. It lent an extra purpose, even an excitement to my morning walk, especially as spring approached, with the birds gathering to do what Mother Nature dictates, and making the most fantastic, heart-lifting din.

But lately the task has started to feel like a duty.  There’s a dusty bit of my mind which dryly ticks off (for instance): jackdaw, sparrow, magpie, bluetit, wren. This has the effect of lessening rather than increasing my enjoyment of the birds. It’s as if they have become an administrative task. Bored with bullfinches, blasé about bluetits. (Not really, nice alliteration though!) But there’s some truth in it. What used to be a joy has become duty – and there’s nothing creative about duty. So, I’m going to try and stop. End of resolution. I’m going to return to concentrating on the rhythm of my walking and the way it rocks words into my head, words for a new novel that are beginning to gather… rather like birds looking for a perch.