I didn’t set any New Year’s Resolutions last year but guess what? I’m back on the bandwagon and here are the top five things I want to do this year. Eat healthy I wouldn’t say I’m overweight but I have gained some weight in the wrong places and I’d like to change that. First, I’ll have to cut back on sugar, so all those sweet treats I’ve been enjoying from that pastry shop I wrote about a couple of weeks ago are out. Also, no chips or burgers. Okay may be just once every two weeks. Get out of comfort zone This one’s going to be tough as I’ve gotten really lazy lately. A couple of years ago, I was a driven, feisty woman willing to do anything to realise my dreams but along the way, I stopped trying so hard and that’s probably why I can’t point out any serious accomplishment in the last 12 months. Save more A close friend and her husband started building about two months ago. They hope to move into their house in a year’s time and then start a family. I kind of envy them, not the marriage and family part but rather the fact that soon, they will no longer have to pay rent. I’ve always wanted to live in my own house so I’m going to pinch the pennies, or Francs in 2015 so I can put away as much as I can for that dream house. Give more A lot of the time, we think giving is for the rich but it really isn’t. You don’t always have to give money although that’s what most people in need prefer. You can however give material things, like clothes, shoes or even utensils you don’t use. I don’t have bags of clothes but even I have tops, sweaters and pants that no longer fit or I just don’t like them anymore and I believe there’s someone out there who would appreciate them. Sometimes, you also buy something and a couple of weeks later, the excitement wears off and you throw it in a box in a corner. One such item for me is a solar-powered bedside Iamp and I think I know just the right person to give it to. I’ll also make time for friends and family. I’ve skipped many birthday and graduation parties this past year because I was busy at work and I really was but I could also have easily dropped by the party for an hour or so and returned to work later to finish whatever had to be done. Be more tolerant Sometimes I really do sweat the small stuff and fuss over things other people don’t seem to mind. I expect people to sit and behave a certain way on the bus. I wish all waiters and waitresses greeted clients first and not the other way round. I wish my colleagues treated the workplace as an office and not a nightclub as they tend to do many times... In 2015, I’m going to try to be more tolerant of others, particularly neighbours and workmates as nobody is perfect. So next time someone next door pops in unannounced or talks loud on the phone when I’m trying to finish a report, I’ll try not to frown or outright tell them to shut up. Those are my resolutions. Hope you too set some.
