Eco-living: Sustainable resolutions

I think "Chinesey" would have been more aurally pleasing. Sadly, this book is unread, despite covering topics such as "how to haggle", "ping pong and Mahjong" and "don't flip the fish!". Languishing alongside the book is a DVD entitled Breakdance: The Ultimate Guide. It's still in the shrink wrap. Another year, another set of resolutions fallen by the wayside. If only I had stuck to my guns, I'd now be spinning on my head while asking "how much for a kilo of apples?" in Mandarin.

Lessons will be learned, as the politicians love to say. I've learned that I need to lower my expectations. Whatever happened to aiming high, you ask. That might work if you've been brought up in America or some other go-getting country, but this is Scotland. All the rhetoric in the world doesn't change the fact that we're born underdogs. So for 2010, I am setting myself achievable targets. Particularly in the green stakes. We're talking about turning off the tap while brushing your teeth as opposed to disconnecting from the grid and achieving complete self-sufficiency.

Top of the list is to stop using carrier bags once and for all. I don't know about you, but I now have at least half a dozen re-useable bags made from cotton, string, jute and all manner of longwearing materials. The problem is they're never actually on me when I go to the shops. They're in the kitchen or somewhere equally inconvenient. My new strategy is to buy several more bags and stash them in every coat pocket and handbag to help compensate for my terrible memory.

Next, low-energy lightbulbs. Every light in the house now has these, but not the outdoor lights at the front and back door. Why is that? Out of sight, out of mind? Whatever the psychological block, it will be obliterated in the coming weeks. Still on the home front, a lot of decorating lies ahead for me this year, once I've managed to make the shack watertight.

Assuming the new roof doesn't bankrupt me, I plan to paint the whole place using eco-friendly paints. I have colour charts for companies such as Earthborn and Ecos and I'm currently torn between "Just White" and "Mittens" Claypaint for the lounge. The fly in the ointment is my other half who has already stated his case: that emulsion from the well-known paint brands is just water with a bit of pigment. A closer look at the pots usually actually reveals the presence of "minimal volatile organic compounds". Fair enough, but I'd prefer zero VOCs.

Moving on, insulation. Another missed target for 2009 was insulating the "hard to treat" parts of my loft that require the ceiling being ripped out to gain access. What can I say? It's a messy and expensive job, but after freezing all winter I am determined to do it. Resolution number five is to car-share. My beloved husband works less than a minute's walk from where I do, but we drive separately. Why? Because I finish at 5pm and he finishes at 6pm at the very earliest. Car-sharing might realistically work for two days per week – any more and I'll get irate about hanging around waiting when I could be at home fitting the insulation.

So that makes five resolutions. Or seven, if you include learning how to speak Chinese and mastering the finer points of breakdancing. I can do the Caterpillar, you know, it's just the head-spinning that eludes me – 2010 will be the year when I master it, or dislocate my collarbone trying.

This article first appeared in Scotland on Sunday on 3 January, 2010