Edel Coffey: Forget the New Year, March is a much friendlier month for self-improvement

In my twenties, I decided instead of giving things up, I would take things up. I have taken this approach ever since and it’s been a really positive, productive habit in my life

If, like me, you missed your window of opportunity to reinvent yourself at New Year’s, a second opportunity to do so is now upon us. I’m not religious, but I realised last week that we are in Lent. I do love an excuse for self-improvement, so I thought I might hop on the bandwagon.

March is a much friendlier month for self-improvement after all. How are we expected to plunge ourselves into self-denial in the dark, cold days of January? At least now the mornings are bright, the hyacinths are blooming and the prospect of having to expose our bodies in light summer clothes seems terrifyingly, indeed motivatingly, real.