Home from your hols? It's time to start a new life!

Last updated at 12:36 AM on 5th September 2011

Back to reality: Many people return from summer holidays with new resolutions (posed by model)

Last night, my friend Lucy announced that shes going to move to somewhere called Cinque Terre. Its in the Italian Riviera apparently and its where she and her husband John have just spent ten blissful days on holiday.

Youd love it, she told me and two other friends over a bottle of wine, her tan still glowing. Its so beautiful...the sun, the coffee, the wine...even tomatoes taste like heaven over there.

And Italians really know how to live. What are we all doing here in the rain, in jobs we hate with mortgages we cant afford?

'Weve seen a place we could turn into a boutique hotel. John would cook and I would do the front-of-house stuff. You can all visit.

It all sounds gorgeous, but I wont book my flights yet.

Last year, Lucy wanted to quit her marketing job and move to Ibiza to start a yoga retreat; the year before that it was a cookery school in the South of France. Every year, she comes back from her summer holiday with radical plans to change her life. But dont we all?

As my friends and I indulged in a post-holiday catch-up, we all waxed lyrical about our plans for the months ahead.

Well, youre going to move to Italy and Im going to buy a juicer. And go swimming three times a week. And go to the theatre, said Gemma.

I am going to start online dating and go on one date a week. I cant cope with another summer of being single at weddings, said 38-year-old Jo. And Im going to join Weight Watchers again.

It seems theyd come back with more than just a tan; theyd all brought a plan. Forget New Years resolutions the back to school feeling of September makes many of us vow to improve our lives.

Ive been back from my Irish holiday for two minutes and Ive already joined a gym, sent off for information about volunteering, ordered a meditation DVD from Amazon and opened a savings account with a view to becoming a fitter, kinder, calmer and more solvent person.

Theres even a September happy list that Ive written stuck to my fridge. My goals range from the sublime (No 1: count your blessings every day, stop moaning) to the ridiculous (No 24: get teeth whitened, and No 26: throw out old underwear).

I never make resolutions in January, the coldest, wettest, poorest month. But every September I feel an optimism and vigour that says: Anythings possible!

And Im not alone. Diet groups, gyms, career advisers, volunteering charities and dating websites all report a surge in activity in September.

This time last year, more people signed up to volunteer at the Samaritans than during any other month.

And Nuffield Health gyms say that of all their new members who sign up in a year, 11 per cent do so in September, compared with 13 per cent in January.

September, and not January, is by far the more popular month to make changes in your life, such as starting a diet or starting therapy, says life coach Ali Campbell, author of Just Get On With It. Youve just got back from a long holiday. Youve stepped out of the rat race, taken a deep breath and looked around you.

Then you come back from holiday and the contrast is stark when you go back to work. Its such a jolt. Its often a catalyst that makes people want to change.

Refreshed: Time away to relax and reflect means you can return with renewed vigour (posed by model)

Clinical psychologist Linda Blair agrees: After the summer, we come back refreshed, renewed and full of energy. A new school year starts and there is a feeling of productivity in the air.

And with this comes the urge to fix every aspect of our lives: work, money, relationships and, of course, weight.

The bulges created by ice cream, pina coladas and holiday, teamed with the thought of Christmas parties to come, are enough to put many of us on a health kick.

Rob Beale, from David Lloyd gyms, says: September is always one of our busiest times of year for memberships as people have often come back from their holiday, having reflected on their life and often having overindulged. Whats more, its just 15 weeks until Christmas in part, its preparation for then.

Our jobs are the next thing we want to change. Theres nothing like the hell of that first day back at work to make you wonder what youre doing with your life.

I see a huge increase in the numbers of people contacting me in September about changing roles and even changing their career completely, says career coach Hannah McNamara.

People spent time away from their job, realised theres more to life and how unhappy they are at work and then want to make a change. What theyre looking for is a job that allows them to have a life outside work. Especially if they have a family.

September is also a good time for many of us to sort out our finances. Its not as bleak as January, when the credit card bill is so dire its too terrifying to open the post. The demands of Christmas are not yet here and theres a three-month window to save money.

Get fit quick schemes: Gym membership goes up in September

Setting up a direct debit to a savings account is something Ive been meaning to do for years and finally its done.

The other thorny issue people choose to tackle is their love life. Dating websites see a definite peak at the end of August and beginning of September, says Paula Hall from dating site Parship.co.uk.

During the summer, it seems like there are couples everywhere, canoodling in the park, holding hands on the street, and it can be a really hard time for single people, says Paula. Holidays might heighten awareness of being single, too. Then there are the summer weddings.

The good news is that our dreams of finding love, getting a new job and losing weight are much more likely to be achieved than they would be in the New Year, according to psychologists. September resolutions stand a better chance of being fulfilled than New Year ones, says Linda Blair. In January, youre depleted in every way. And what lies ahead to motivate you? Dark, cold days.

Contrast this with September. Youve had a lovely relaxing holiday and feel optimistic. The weather is better, so your immune system is boosted and endorphins are more freely available.

But before you take rash action, career adviser Hannah McNamara says its important to be realistic about the changes we all want from our lives: I dont find people have unrealistic expectations, but they do have unrealistic deadlines.

GYM ROUTINE

Experts say it takes 21 days for a new activity, i.e. exercising, to become a habit

A client I coached a couple of years ago came to me to secure her next role, but when I asked her what she wanted to do, she said run a B&B, so we established a time frame for that about 15 years time and then we worked out how her jobs in the meantime would prepare her for running her own business.

So if my friend Lucy really wants to run a hotel, she needs a ten-year plan not a ten-minute dream. I told her this and she made a face. Maybe Ill just learn Italian instead, she said.

Our summer holidays tap into the fact that we want to make our lives better, but sometimes making little changes like learning a new skill or catching up with friends once a week is all we need. The trick is to follow through on these things, to not lose enthusiasm when our tans fade.

My goals of meditating, doing charity work and losing a stone have probably been on my to-do list since 1990. They havent been crossed off because I get so excited about thoughts of the fabulous new me that I get tired and need to go for a rest.

Instead, I should ditch my 32-point wish list, take one resolution at a time and stick to it.

Dont try to make too many changes. Pick one goal at a time and stick with it for six weeks, which is the amount of time needed to establish a habit, says Linda Blair. Dont give up after two or three weeks. Set quantifiable goals. So instead of saying I want to lose weight, try saying: I want to lose 2lb a week for the next six weeks.

So which to do first? Sort out my teeth? My finances? My wardrobe? I think Ill start with meditation. Im going to do 20 minutes a day for the next week and take it from there. Who knows, it might just be life-changing.

And the important part, says Linda, is to pat yourself on the back for even wanting to make resolutions.

Its wonderful that our identities are always evolving, thats were always trying to improve ourselves. Resolutions are a tribute to human optimism, she says.

Indeed. Blind optimism, perhaps, but optimism none the less. This is going to be my year, Im sure of it...