In 2017 Make Resolutions, Not Restrictions

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More often than not, our resolutions always start with “I will stop..” or “I won’t be..”, which all sound a little pessimistic. How about let’s all flip the cards and change the game?

Do not deprive yourself from eating what you want just to be ‘fit’.
Eat whatever you want in reasonable ration. Then, do an everyday exercise. You don’t have to tell yourself not to eat this and that because it will make you crave for it even more. Just a few bites will suffice. Teach yourself how to be contented with small amount whenever needed. You can have your diet and your cheat days at the same time. You need that box of pizza or a tub of ice cream once in a while.

Do not stop your vices overnight.
That won’t happen and that’s not healthy either. Do it gradually. Teach yourself how to not rush things. I have seen a lot of friends stop smoking or drinking instantly and it didn’t go well. Their bodies gave in just as fast. You can’t stop gambling in a snap. That would definitely blow your mind. Slow down, you’ll get there. Teach yourself how to be patient, even with yourself.

Save money for emergencies but also save for anything you want.
You can still be an impulsive buyer without being broke. You don’t have to starve yourself to afford concert tickets or designer bags. You don’t have to sell your books and old CD collections for iPhone 7. Instead, work more. Look for something where you can earn extra. As the adage goes, “if there’s a will, there’s a way.” Old but gold.

Stop saying that you won’t repeat the same mistakes again
because you will never know. Do not focus on that. Focus on what you have learned instead. In life, we will have lots of wrong decisions and that’s inevitable. What matters is how you get yourself up after the fall.

Make your resolutions like some kind of a bucket list. A planner always helps. Or just save a note on your phone. Plan your goals and stick to it. It can be a goal in a month after a month until you finish off 12. Let yourself be committed. You want something? Go for it. Schedule everything you have to do.

It’s okay to be late at times but know your priorities. You can’t always do everything all at once but you can always try. It’s worth it. It’s worth all the sleepless nights reading a book or writing articles. It’s worth all the sweat from a morning run. It’s worth all the caffeine and extra hours at work. It’s your life. Live it the way you want it to.

I believe in choices more than coincidences. You know how everyone is saying that ‘nothing happens by chance’? Absolutely nothing. Circumstances happen upon everyone’s choices—one after the other. A whole lot layers of them. Everything that happens to you depends on you.

Sometimes, we need to restrain ourselves of some things. But if there’s one thing you need to include in your every New Year’s resolution, it is to allow yourself to be more—not to be anything less.