Read some more 

There are lots of people whose knowledge stops as far as their Facebook and Twitter timelines go. Yes, it is good to get a bit of information but it is very important to go a step further and read about something that will build your character, profession or spiritual life. Find a book and feed your mind. Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. Do get some new vocabulary for a change in 2016.

Save a bit of time for vacation

The sound of vacation doesn’t necessarily mean the Bahamas or Cape Town. Rwanda has a variety of beautiful sceneries that are right at the beach like Kibuye, the canopy walk and not forgetting the cultural and extraordinary fun activities in Musanze and Gisenyi. Learn to have that time of the year to refresh and relax as you re-energize to get back into whatever it is that was taking your time. There is also a reason one can use only their ID to travel in the East African region. Visit places in Kenya. Uganda and Tanzania try a different thing, learn how different cultures behave and most importantly, meet and interact with new people.

Become patriotic

While our elders fought for the freedom that we enjoy today with a strong desire to have a home and build it into what we have today, we can’t water down that strong spirit and it begins with you. Attend and be active in Umuganda, know and collaborate with the head of your Umudugudu. When the national teams are participating in any sport, go ahead and cheer them on, support them buy wearing their jerseys and less of the Chelsea jersey. It isn’t doing well anyway. Most importantly, learn the national anthem word for word.

Become more informed

It was a big shame to see some 30 and 40 year olds think the Referendum was meant to give the president a lifetime stay in power. You don’t have to keep tabs on all the politics going on in the country, but know at least the basic information that affects you. Once in a while, give a break to the Kardashians and watch some local news or listen to radio on your way to work in the morning before fixing in your flash disk with meaningless songs.

Buy Rwandan brands

While House of Tayo is showcasing and selling like hot cake in New York, some Rwandans still want to run for Dunhill and Gucci suits that don’t even fit them well after paying a fortune. Made in Kigali, Inzuki and SM have clothing designs that are a class apart from some of the fake brands many buy. There is also a Made in Rwanda laptop. Try one before buying expensive brands at ridiculous prices. You don’t have to buy something from Rwanda because it is homemade, but am telling you that there’re a lot of homemade products that are beating international brands. Get yourself one of those and support local entrepreneurs.

Listen more and speak less

We were blessed with a gift of talking: the gift of language. Being able to express our feelings, emotions and ideas into something called words but alas, every gift when overused can give unexpected results. Leave the mambo jambo in 2015 and focus more on feeding your mind with information through listening. Also, stick to what is important when you decide to talk. Final tip: it’s better to keep silent and people think you don’t know anything than to speak and affirm it.

Save more and spend less

You earn Rwf200, 000 and spend Rwf250, 000 monthly and yet you are in a serious relationship and discussing with your fiancé how you want to build a big house and take your children to the best schools. How is the math supposed to work? Banks have removed charges on saving accounts and are eagerly waiting for clients to use the facility. When you start saving, don’t treat your savings account like your current account where you withdraw every now and them. Learn how to save and save with discipline. Forego the beers during the working days so that someday in the future, you might not need to worry about when and how many drinks you consume without debts.

Put down your phone

Your phone isn’t a life machine that it must always be in your hands while you type away on chats and viewing posts and pictures on social media. There is more to life than the internet and mobile phones. Learn to have a real conversation with the phone aside and it’s so bad these days that even people feel less of a need to hide the fact that we are dividing our attention. You walk into a restaurant and a family came together but they are all on their phones. Leave the bad habit in 2015 and bring back the human to human interaction that existed before the mobile phone era.

Do some exercise and sleep better

I have seen people use the elevator when they are just going a floor lower or higher, enter their car to buy airtime at a nearby shop. For crying out loud, a little walking wouldn’t kill you. That level of laziness can’t be carried along in 2016. You don’t have to sign up to gym to do exercise - a bit of stretching and jogging in the compound in the morning or evening can do one very well. Sleeping during the right hours and waking up on time is also important and over sleeping isn’t necessarily sleeping better.

Eat healthy

"Genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger.” Experts use this line in reference to our current obesogenic world and the genetic predisposition that most of us have to both crave and store excess energy from highly caloric foods. 2016 is a time to change you style. The chicken wings and French fries are good but shouldn’t be a daily meal. Take some time and Google about foods that give different nutrients and how to cook them, take a visit at your grandmothers and ask her what she used to eat back in the day so that you might also get a chance to see your grandchildren’s fiancés.