New Year is just around the corner. Come Jan 2nd, everybody is going to be wishing everybody a very Happy New Year and then laugh and ask  if you’ve made any resolutions this year- expecting those resolutions to break. Why? Because you make it only on New Year, sometimes on the spur of the moment because everyone else is making them. That’s a holiday and you probably partied on New Year’s eve, woke up the next day with a fuzzy head and broke your resolution for the first time when you pushed it to Jan 2nd. There are others who will laugh at it saying it’s silly.

So, if you really want to make a resolution that you are going to abide by, then make it in December. Set the ball rolling! On Christmas day or New Year’s eve, take a break and then get back into it. You know you can do it because you’ve been doing it since the last 1 week or 2 weeks.

Are New Year Resolutions silly?

Making a resolution is not a fad. It’s not fun. It just means that you don’t think you are perfect. You realize your flaws and you want to work on them. It also shows determination…you have taken a decision and the courage to change a habit that you are not proud of.

Are New Year Resolutions kid-stuff?

There’s no age to making a resolution. Life’s about changing, improving and growing. Resolutions are part of this growth. How can taking a decision to improve and then work on it religiously in a disciplined manner, not give up, stay committed be kids’ stuff?

Do you need to wait until New Year to make a resolution?

Of-course not! You can start anytime of the year but the beginning of the year is just a good place to start. A new beginning, a fresh start to a better you! If you aren’t able to stick to it, you have a chance to start again on your birthday or on your religious New Year or just any day!

My 2016 Resolution: To reach office in time

Last year I made a resolution that I would reach office in time. Sadly, I have never managed to reach office in time in the past, not when I was a trainee, not 18 years later and I kept telling myself ” better late than never”. Not a good thing but the offices that I went to were the ones that believed in the concept ” as long as you get your work done, it does not matter if you are a little late. These offices gave you freedom to walk in late and that’s because you also invariably sat late, well beyond office hours without overtime. However, my current job requires me to stamp in and if I am a minute late, it’s deducted from my rightful paid leave. So if you are late by 4 hours over a period of time, you lose a day. Do I like it? No. Because it’s anti-freedom. It feels like you are kid; not an adult. But reaching late certainly did not make me an adult. So, I made the resolution and I worked hard to stick to it.

Learning:

1. Trying to get to office in time made me painfully aware of every moment that needs to be taken into account- the building lift takes time, then there could be kids who have probably pressed every button on the lift so it opens and closes on every floor or school-children who take their own sweet time entering the lift, then one has to wait until one gets a cab or a bus, if one does not drive, then you need to ensure you have the right change to give the cab driver or else he may not have change or he may have it and need time to get it out of his pockets and finally the lift at your office needs to be there available for you to get in so… all these factors needed to be taken into consideration to reach office in time.
2. I also realized that if I had to reach in time, I had to stop the urge of clearing up every glass left behind by the children before getting to office. It meant turning a blind eye to a lot of unimportant things to achieve the main goal.

How I did?

There were lapses … I lost 2 days from my annual leave against 5 days in the past. It’s an improvement. Not the best but certainly better. You really can’t be perfect the first time. So 2017 I am going to try again.

2017- My Resolutions:

• Eat right/Get fit- lesser sugar-chocolates, ice-creams, desserts. I started since last week and it’s been going ok. Haven’t stopped it completely ‘coz I am not going to be able to do it.
• Leave office in time- Reach in time and leave in time. I started it this week and it feels great.
• Read more- Try reading 1 book every 2 months and 2 blogs everyday.
• Write a blog every week- which I have managed to do since I started in August. Need to carry on with it.
• Don’t check Fb/What’s app once home- Haven’t started it but will do it from Jan 1st. Need to ensure I spend time with people around me rather than on social media. It simply eats into your time and you don’t even realize.

What are your resolutions?

Would love to hear from you’ll. As they say, “when you say it to others, you are more likely to stick to it”. So share it here on this blog .