Beat Bridget Jones syndrome in 2005

Bridget Jones has done it, so has Adrian Mole, not to mention countless other literary figures and a whole host of celebrities. Weíre talking New Yearís resolutions - easily made, normally forgotten before Januaryís out, and rarely stuck to. Weíre all full of good intentions at the start of the New Year, promising ourselves weíll change our ways for the better. But while we all look forward to reading about the failings of celebs in the gossip magazines, a new survey by Pitman Training, the UKís leading office and IT skills training provider discovered that the most popular resolutions made yet rarely fulfilled by us mere mortals include:-

improve social life
quit smoking
lose weight
find a new job
get a promotion and higher salary

Bridget Jones might have managed one or two of these, with one or two hiccups along the way, but most of us admit that itís not always as easy as it initially seems.

Michael Graham, Managing Director of Pitman Training said: Iím as guilty as the next person when it comes to making these great resolutions and finding that theyíre just too unrealistic. But many of our candidates have explained how enrolling on one of our courses has benefited them in so many ways - theyíve got what they want professionally and made some long-term lifestyle changes too.

If youíre wondering how this is possible, consider the cost of smoking 10 cigarettes a day. Giving up the habit would save a typical smoker over 900 a year. Michael added: That amount of cash would cover the cost of several Pitman Training courses which start from as little as 200. Just one course can improve both your skills and your job prospects. Whatís more - itís often a lot easier to give up a bad habit when youíre replacing it directly with something more positive, which doesnít just benefit you, but your family too.

The Pitman Training team is also confident that deciding to retrain or learn new skills at one of its centres across the UK doesnít impinge on quality, family time and can even help improve your social life. Because all courses provide candidates with a flexible method of study, you can study at a time that suits you, whether you have children, a demanding job or a hectic social life. Whether you choose to learn intensively or simply slot in an hour or two when you can, all candidates walk away with a nationally recognised certification on completion of the course.

Michael Graham added: We expect to be contacted by hundreds of people at the start of this year, all of whom listed ílearning something newí as one of their resolutions. But because our method of learning is suitable for everyone, regardless of age, ability or spare time, and because Pitman Training is renown for producing great results, we fully expect them to see their course through to the end. If you make one resolution this year, that you actually want to keep - make it a Pitman Training one.