This January why not make a resolution that is easy to stick to and enables you to better enjoy woodworking? The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk) believes that you can improve your skills and leisure time by making a New Year's resolution, whether it is to set aside some quality time in the workshop each week, to teach someone else your techniques, to improve your tool sharpening habits or to train in a new area of woodworking.

Think of any issues you may have at the moment when woodcarving or turning. Is there room for improvement in any area? Most people aren't perfect and could benefit from sticking to a new rule. Sometimes it's to be tidier, maybe to sweep up more often in the workshop, to organise tools and materials, or to invest in respiratory protection, resolutions regarding health and safety being of particular importance. Most woodworkers are aware of the risks of an untidy workshop -setting yourself a cleaning schedule could not only improve your safety but also help you make the most out of the time you spend in your workshop.

Sometimes people have intended for years to invest in a training course but have failed to find the time. The New Year is a great time to book a training course as it gives students something to look forward to. The ToolPost offers courses in woodturning, wood carving and will have a new course in 2012 combining both as "Carving on Turning", along with a host of other skill sets.  Accommodation can be recommended nearby for anyone needing it, and the whole experience of attending and learning more about the craft of woodworking can be a real break from the monotony of life at work or home.  

Many New Year's resolutions are to finish a project that has been neglected, or to start a new one. Often craftspeople start a creative project and never finish it, after investing considerable time and energy into it. Sometimes it is not equipment or skills that are lacking, but time itself. For the busy worker or family organiser, trying to find time for any hobby can be a fruitless task, but a New Year's resolution can help even the busiest woodworker to schedule in leisure time. 

January can offer an excuse to throw out the old and bring in some brand new woodcarving tools, or even larger machinery such as a new woodturning lathe. Why not make a list of anything that doesn't function properly in your workshop? This is the first step towards replacing worn out tools.

Whatever your New Year's resolutions in woodworking, visit The ToolPost website at http://www.toolpost.co.uk for inspiration which will help you keep them.