As we stumble, blinking sleepily, into 2025 after Christmas, we will almost certainly turn our thoughts to how we can make this year better than last.
We all make personal new year’s resolutions around eating better, going to the gym, cutting out alcohol or incorporating kale and apple smoothies into our days, but what of Northern Ireland?
What new year’s resolutions should this place make for a prosperous, harmonious and happy 2025?
Perhaps the first is to agree to grow up politically.
For decades, our government structures have been like a dysfunctional family Christmas – everyone shouting over each other, the odd tantrum, and not much actually getting done.
Imagine a 2025 where our institutions come out of the transition phase and really work together, forging ahead for success, reaching our full potential.
A pipe dream? Maybe. But surely it’s time we got on with addressing real issues: health waiting lists, education reforms, housing crises.
It’s not glamorous work but true stability isn’t built on grandstanding. It’s built on steady, boring progress and goodness knows, we could be doing with a lot more boring politics here.
So, here’s hoping Stormont resolves to stay open – and functional – and takes it down a few notches.
Speaking of functionality, we should resolve to tackle problems around public transport.
For a small place, we really do not have it together. Visit any other modern part of the world and compare it with our infrastructure and you’ll find that we are severely lacking.
In the run-up to Christmas there were many problems that saw frustrated and annoyed people stuck in traffic for hours, and our city centre gridlocked daily.
We need a transport revolution in 2025. Picture this: affordable, reliable, robust services that run on time, connecting us all, even the farthest rural villages.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility. We just need investment and a solid plan.
And maybe 2025 is the year we start being nicer to one another here? This year could be the year of basic civility.
Northern Irish social media is a battleground, with insults exploding faster than the new year’s fireworks and spilling out into real life.
Marching, language, flags, bonfires, identity - we will argue about it all. We can’t help spinning around and around in circles over the same issues that have blighted us for 50 years.
Maybe this year we turn the heat down? Maybe this year we throw around a little less rage and instead spread a little more empathy?
It costs nothing to live and let live, to think before you speak, to not deliberately move to hurt or upset others and think only of yourself. We should really give it a try.
And perhaps 2025 is the year we start appreciating what we have here in this unique corner of the world.
Maybe it’s the year we stand back and be proud of how far we’ve come, before we set it on fire again and stand around to watch it burn.
We have so many talented and creative people here. The resilience of our entrepreneurs is nothing short of heroic - brewing craft beers, designing incredible fashion, creating music, writing novels and producing TV, running world-class businesses that put global eyes on us for the right reasons.
We are wall-to-wall people keeping the faith alive that this is a vibrant, lively place worthy of great things.
Maybe a new year resolution for us all is to support them. Buy the coffee from the local coffee shop who took a chance and opened in your area; pick up the jewellery or art made just down the road; support the artists and musicians, the small businesses who had a dream and kept that dream here instead of taking it somewhere else, somewhere easier.
There are other resolutions – supporting for mental health services, investment in education and health, celebrating diversity – but we will start small for 2025 and then build up to where we want to be, to the place we want to be.
Every small step matters. We can all play our part.