Jenni Murray

Grey, chilly January again and the requirement at the beginning of my 73rd year to make resolutions to be a better person than I’ve ever been before. Resolutions which I had no doubt I would fail to honour. I still sneak the odd cigarette, find the occasional vodka and tonic irresistible, and the pile of paperwork on the desk and clothes scattered around the bedroom are no more efficiently stored than they were last year.

Might it be time to stop these long-promised and continuously ignored resolutions of old and look to the future and emulate the young people around me who dish out wise advice?

Surprisingly, chilling out and relaxing more is their number-one priority for me. They do think I might be more attentive to the clothes and the papers – I taught them how to be tidy, never to let work pile up and to value the clothes they love – but they also know how to relax. If they’ve had busy periods in their jobs they seem to know how to switch off without relying on alcohol. They walk in the fresh air, meditate, exercise and feel no guilt at flopping on the sofa and watching a film.

‘Mum,’ they say, ‘you’ve worked so hard all your life and now is the time for you to chill. No need to feel guilty about an afternoon in front of the TV. No need for booze. Just breathe and stretch. Learn how to say no. And when you do travel, you don’t have to drive everywhere. It would be better for you and for the planet.’

Of course, I know they’re right. They are devoted to public transport, leaving their cars parked outside, available only for emergencies. So, that’s resolution number one: learn how to relax and save on the stress from driving in the city and finding a place to park. Now I’ll do my best to follow all their ecologically sensible leads.

‘It’s a liberating moment when you realise the younger generation knows more than you’

I’ve taken their advice to enquire about solar panels. I have no doubt they’re right about investing to save. The cost will, they assure me, be paid back eventually as fossil fuel bills rise, saving a significant amount in the long run. And, if my own run doesn’t prove to be so long, the sun is a safer option for their future. I don’t want to leave them with climate change issues by gobbling up energy through the usual channels.

It’s a strange, but liberating moment when you realise the younger generation knows more than you do, is prepared to offer advice and give assistance when it’s necessary. Technology has been the most consistent factor where they have been most helpful. They have grown up with the computer, the iPad and iPhone. I hung on to my old Blackberry until my 70th birthday when they begged me to buy a smartphone. I worried I wouldn’t be able to write without my Blackberry’s keyboard. They showed me how and I’m now a total convert.

Then there’s the Kindle. ‘Mum, I know you love to read, but why do you go around with that bag on your shoulder full of heavy books? No wonder you have a bad back. We’ll get you a Kindle – you can have an entire library with you wherever you go.’ They were spot on about that too, although I can’t quite give up the pleasure of occasionally feeling a real book in my hands. I can’t be expected to give up everything I’ve loved all my life, although I can’t deny the house is far less cluttered as storing books now occurs online.

So, this year my resolutions are going to stick. The solar panels will happen, I shall never carry a heavy bag of books, I’ll exercise regularly by walking and doing yoga and Pilates at home. My boys are both fit as fleas and have subtly remarked that more exercise might keep me mobile and needing less care from them.

They’ve also suggested I get rid of the piles of clothes in my bedroom and sell them for someone else to enjoy. If I need more, I should consider secondhand. The new ‘used’ fashion industry, they say, is cheaper and in many ways better for the planet. Sometimes you must admit you need to listen to the young. I am resolved!