“New Year, New You” sounds like a cliché because it’s everywhere on Instagram this month. Our international travel team shared everyone’s New Year’s resolutions with each other on social media, so I think it’s a good idea to collect some fascinating ideas here. Enjoy!
- Unusual New Year’s resolutions:
Most New Year’s resolutions are common sense – stop eating junk food, start doing exercise, etc. Our team members have some unusual New Year’s resolutions to share with you:
1) Sit less; move more.
Dr. Christiane Northrup famously said, “Sitting is the new smoking”. This is absolutely true. Having a sedentary lifestyle is very harmful because human beings aren’t designed to sit there all day every day. During COVID, most individuals sit more than they should because everyone is supposed to stay at home these days most of the time.
Luckily, there are many ways to be more active. For example, when you are talking on the phone, you can walk around the house. When you and a colleague are having a meeting, you may walk in the park together while discussing things. When you have to sit in front of your computer for hours, you can choose to dance for 5 minutes each hour.
2) Find a physical activity that is actually enjoyable.
Instead of buying a costly membership at the gym, you should totally find an exercise that you actually like. There is a reason why most gym memberships don’t really work – it’s boring!
A friend of mine used to own a gym. He told me that the full capacity of his gym was 800 people. But his gym had 3,000 members. That means most people never really go to the gym because they can’t stick to their routine.
Interestingly, gym memberships and online fitness courses are very expensive. In contrast, exercises that you actually enjoy are oftentimes free! For instance, Amber is our international travel team member who also works for an advertising agency. Every morning she walks to her office while listening to an audiobook; every evening she walks home while listening to a podcast. She doesn’t need to go to the gym at all.
Amber has lost 20 kilos over 5 years. What a big achievement!
- Intriguing New Year’s resolutions:
Some of our international travel team members are highly creative, so their New Year’s resolutions are really intriguing:
1) Stop worrying and start living fully.
Ruby tends to worry a lot. Now she is 36 years old and she says, “It is said that after 35 years old, a person’s personality has been shaped already, so from now on, I will become a different person – I will stop worrying so that I can start living fully.” This is so profound.
Due to COVID, Ruby has been worried about hygiene issues at home, e.g., whether her dress touched the floor / the toilet. This concern never appeared BC (before coronavirus). Therefore, Ruby has decided to stop worrying altogether – she doesn’t want to make her life after COVID more complicated than it used to be.
In order to start living fully, Ruby’s new routine in 2021 is to schedule some time to play each day. Life is short; hence, every moment is extremely important. As a result, in 2021, Ruby will have some time for fun every single day, e.g., singing karaoke, dancing to the music, and so on.
2) Pivot successfully.
One of our contractors contributes to a project once per month because she is a part-time lecturer at university. The department that she works for at university will be permanently closed because of the pandemic. As a consequence, now she is looking to pivot completely. Previously, she was shortlisted for some sales and marketing jobs, but she wasn’t chosen by the hiring managers. Now she is thinking of getting a job in sales and/or marketing industries in her local area. As a result, she is sending resumes to companies that have nothing to do with her current career. Fortunately, she is still in her 30s. Many of her co-workers are in their 40s and 50s and they must pivot right now as well. Small wonder their employer has hired a career consultant who will teach them how to fix their resumes and find new jobs in other industries.
The pandemic has changed many people’s lives dramatically, including some members on our international travel team.
“What’s your New Year’s resolution? If you find our international travel team members’ New Year’s resolutions inspiring, please share this article with your family and friends.?”
