Admit it; at this point you are sick and tired of hearing about New Year’s resolutions (especially if you’ve already fallen off the wagon) and reading about how to make positive life-changing plans for 2013.

Like me, you’ve probably been bombarded with well-meaning advice, inspiring examples and profound quotes about life from friends and contacts over the past four weeks.  And that’s not to mention the questions you get from people who, after wishing you a Happy New Year, ask about your big plans for the year (awkward, if you haven’t made any).

Thankfully, as January drew to a close, the wide-eyed optimism around me appeared to have abated a bit, with people settling down into old routines and bidding a regretful goodbye to the shiny new personas they had envisaged at the start of the month.  And, of course, that’s when I decided it would be a good time to revisit the motivational articles and lists of good intentions in my inbox and take a realistic view of what I wanted to achieve in 2013.

The article that particularly struck me talked about ‘commitments for 2013’ rather than ‘resolutions’.  The sender, a wise and highly valued friend, is usually pretty discriminating about what he passes on, and this list of suggestions has actually proved useful. 

Last year, I suggested picking one major resolution for the year; this time around, I’ve decided to opt for one commitment. Maybe I watched too many Los Angeles Police Department TV shows over Christmas, but the suggestion which I have taken from the article forwarded by my friend is: ‘How will you serve? You should ask yourself: ‘How will you serve this year?’ This question focuses your energy on how you will serve others and the difference you want to make – not on your own personal measures of success.’

Things can sometimes seem pretty gloomy at the start of a new year, particularly when everyone appears to expect you to be full of optimism and positivity. One great solution to feeling down is to focus not on oneself, but on others. Serving others, whether it be with our time, our skills, our money or just ourselves, offers a wonderful means of reigniting gratitude for what we already have, while giving something to someone else.

If this idea resonates with you, go ahead and ask yourself what you can do to serve. The answer? Whatever works for you.  There are so many ways in which we can make an impact - starting at home and extending into the wider community. Here are some ideas to start you thinking:

Looking out for others and finding ways to serve not only takes the focus off our own preoccupations, but brings us gratification and a real sense of purpose. Oh, and if you’d like an inspirational quote to help motivate you, try this one by George B. Hinckley:

“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.”

So that’s my commitment for 2013 and I look forward to finding different ways to fulfil it.

What’s yours?

Author of 'Everyday Heroes – Learning from the Careers of Successful Black Professionals'. Available online from www.everyday-heroes.co.uk and on order through booksellers. ISBN 978-0-9569175-0-8