It’s that time of the year again. The time for optimistic New Year’s resolutions. Don’t worry, I won’t have you commit on going back to the gym. No, we’ll keep it simple. So here we go, read this out aloud – again and again:

I will launch a mobile app. And not one with the HTML screen scraping style. No, a real secure and ubiquitous mobile app! After all, it’s 2011, not the 80’s.One that doesn’t require a physical two-factor authentication token. One that I can bank and drive with, basically.

I will read up about Service-Oriented-Architecture and realise that it’s all about core componentisation and simplicity and not about best of breed spaghettis and complexity.

I will ask my teenage children to explain to me what social media is. I’ll set up a Facebook account. I’ll even tweet. And not about my latest laps time or that I’m having a coffee at my nearest Starbucks, because, really, who gives a damn? No, about something useful and interesting like who’s going to win Strictly.

I will be transparent and open. My customer isn’t always right but they always need to know. I’ll engage my customers through social media and other channels. My customers will become my marketing champions.

I’ll think about my position in the banking value chain. Am I a producer, a service provider, a distributor or all of them? What am I really good at? What’s my core competence?

I will set up an internal cloud and by the end of 2012, I’ll be able to provide systems to my users in 24 hours instead of the current twelve weeks. OK, I admit, I lied about the twelve weeks.

And finally, this time, I won’t invest my bonus money in Bernie Madoff’s (look-a-like) investment fund.

So, what do you think? Easy, right?