Sure. You can make all the New Year's resolutions you like. You know none of them will last. May I recommend this to you as we swing into 2026?

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For me, it's just about now, each new year, that I get to do the one thing I haven't been able to do all year. Believe me, I try. But switching off is not a thing for me really. I didn't go for what is now called "me time" when the kids were little. Despite intense stress, I never enrolled for meditation (partly because I was pretty confident I would fall asleep). And I was never one for those hours-long spa sessions that some of my friends favour. I'm not sure exactly what the point would be except to rediscover, brutally, what I'm missing out on.

But there is one thing I love to do when there are no deadlines and no urgent tasks. And that is this - I love staring into space. Right now, I'm sitting in a garden in coastal Victoria. It's a five-minute walk down to the beach, to the good cafes, to the vibe of the place. But not, sadly, to the serenity. There is no serenity anywhere near the sea during high summer.

The actual strip of sand next to the sea is a beach fight. Massive hordes trying to construct their cabanas early in the morning and then leaving them there all day (and some, overnight) to bags their sand spot. It's meant to be holiday season but I swear that navigating the coast during peak time requires the mindset of the fiercest territorialist.

But back a bit, out of the way of the tan junkies and displayers of pecs and bums, you still get the sea breeze. You still get access to the beachy vibe.

But you also get a chance to stare into space. I'm just sitting in the most comfortable seat in the backyard. Propping my legs up on another........

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