Edel Coffey: 'Small wins' are the key to life's big challenges

Sometimes, there are no shortcuts. It’s not glamorous and it’s not as appealing as the big overnight transformation, but after a year of small wins we are often standing in a completely different place and so different opportunities can present themselves, ones that we couldn’t imagine a year ago.

Edel Coffey: taking things step by step. Picture: Bríd O'Donovan

I recently bought a smartwatch. While I am surgically attached to my phone, I have always resisted getting the companion piece of the watch, probably because the main purpose of the smartwatch has always struck me as fitness-related, a way to track your exercise, and if I can already track my fitness achievements on one hand, why would I need a watch for that?

But, in a moment of weakness, I relented and bought one. I figured I might as well give the accompanying fitness app a whirl before the novelty of measuring my daily steps wore off.