New year's resolutions tend to result in small changes to one's life, but Tadhg Purcell saw the arrival of 2010 as a chance to carry out a complete lifestyle makeover.
First Purcell decided to make it his mission to escape from the League of Ireland in search of steady employment in another league. The only problem was finding a club that could guarantee his wages.
The 24-year-old made his name with Shamrock Rovers after spells with UCD and Kilkenny City, yet he no longer felt comfortable in the domestic game after watching so many fellow professionals be mistreated when it came to collecting payments that they were owed.
That led to him making enquiries about a move to either Australia or the United States, before he was presented with an intriguing offer.
Former Ireland manager Steve Staunton got in touch with the Dubliner about joining him at the bottom of League Two with Darlington. While most players would have slammed down the phone, Purcell saw it as a unique opportunity.
'Any player would have looked at the offer and asked "is this a wise move?" but I saw it as a challenge. Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone to test yourself,' Purcell told Sportsmail.
'I didn't really look at it so much as joining a club that is bottom of League Two but a club that has the potential to grow with a manager in charge who is determined to turn them into a good team.
'Obviously, I took time to weigh up my options and there were a few offers from League of Ireland clubs. But, at the end of the day, you have to go with what feels right and what offers the most job security.
'In any other profession people would walk away from the jobs if they were not getting paid their wages, but for some reason footballers are expected to put up with it.
'I view the move to Darlington as the next step in my career. If I can do well at the club then it might lead to better things as you are more likely to get noticed playing in England than in the League of Ireland.'
Purcell is not the only player to hold strong views about the league's leaky sense of security - he spotted two familiar faces when he arrived for his first Quakers training session. Ex-Rovers team-mate Simon Madden and former St Patrick's Athletic midfielder Gary Dempsey had also decided to take their chances in the north-east of England. The trio now share a house and are seen by Staunton as the men who can turn Darlington's season around.
Purcell has made an impressive starts with two goals in three games, although he knows that a win tomorrow against Cheltenham Town is needed to help ease the pressure on his under-fire manager.
'When Steve took on the Ireland job things didn't work out for him,' said the UCD graduate.
'The media were a bit too harsh but if you ask any of the players that worked under him they will all have great respect for him.
'I think he has learned from that whole experience. It took a lot of courage for him to take on the Darlington job, but that tells you what sort of a guy he is - not afraid to get stuck in.
'Sometimes in training you rub your eyes and ask if it is really happening when the manager joins in on five-a-side sessions. To learn from such a legend of Irish football is a real honour.'
Having escaped the League of Ireland, Purcell's task now is to find a way out of English football's drop zone.
'There are still a lot of games to play from now until the end of the season,' he said.
'Steve thinks that we can get out of the mess and so do I. He brought some new players in January and that should make a big difference.'