I’m the last person to make New Year’s resolutions, but this year I have decided to break my own rules and declare publicly that in 2008 I am going to take charge of my work/life balance and become my own boss.

Part of it is that I am tired. Tired of corporate bull, tired of working a 60-hour week for 35 hours’ pay, tired of late nights, tired of cheap hotels in unpleasant parts of the country, tired of driving the equivalent of twice around the world each year and tired of seeing other people get rich from my efforts.

Don’t get me wrong — I’ve never been frightened of hard work but when I work harder nothing else changes. I give up more free time for no extra reward.

So, I hear you say, “Stop whining and get on with it.” Thanks, that’s what I am doing. My writing client list is growing slowly, as soon as it is large enough I’m cutting loose and starting anew.

This year I hit 50, the half century, if I don’t do it now I never will.

Don’t get me wrong — 33 years of hard labour has taught me more than I ever learned at school, although I can still remember the date of the battle of Bosworth Field and the Latin slang for a lady’s more intimate areas — neither of these vital snippets of information has ever earned me a penny. Knowing how to drive and plug in a hard disk has always proved to be more rewarding.

So that’s my resolution for 2008 — this coming from the man who vowed never to make another New Year’s resolution.

Now that I’ve publicly committed myself I consider it only fair that any reader of this blog should do likewise. If you are going to make a life-changing career decision let me know, I am fascinated by the numerous ingenious ways that I have seen people earn their livings. What are you going to do differently next year?