Attention! Attention! This is a public service announcement!
This is the time of year when, like caterpillars transforming into butterflies, your friends and families will start drafting soliloquies titled ‘new year, new me’ and flooding your social media timeline. This is also the time of year when they might call you to account for the person you have been throughout this year and inquire on the grand changes you plan to make to your life to be a better person in the new year, no matter what shape or form that might come in. In other words ladies and gentlemen, this is New Year’s Resolution season! But the question is, despite our best intentions and efforts, do New Year’s resolutions actually work or do they best us each year?
Beijingkids posed this question to Cindy Marie Jenkins – Deputy Managing Editor of beijingkids and mom of two, Candy Perez – Beijing-based mom of three, and Victoria Yang, head of the Truerun Media marketing team and mom of one, on what the good, the bad, and the ugly are when it comes to the infamous New Year’s Resolutions, and the answers were open, honest and quite hilarious!
Cindy Marie Jenkins, Deputy Managing Editor of beijingkids
What do you believe the secret to making and keeping realistic New Year’s resolutions is?
Candy Marie Jenkins: My idea of New year’s resolutions changed once I broke them down into one year three year and five-year resolutions so that I understood some of my goals were able to be done in the next year and others were smaller steps towards larger life goals.
Candy Perez: I have no idea. Probably a solid plan and people to hold you accountable. This often backfires for me because I don’t like my husband reminding me of bold statements I’ve made (about carbs, for example) and then made pasta for dinner.
Victoria Yang: Make plans that you and your close friends believe that you can achieve. Don’t lie to yourself.
Candy Perez
What are some good, bad, and outright crazy resolutions you made in 2019 rolling into 2020?
CMJ: Actually think I made some excellent resolutions going into 2020 and I’m lucky that they were able to even be halfway fulfilled because of the pandemic. The one I wasn’t able to accomplish last year was getting further in a publishing book deal, But I did start working full time as a writer again, which I had only been doing part-time since I moved to Beijing with my family. And that, as you know, has made a huge difference in my life!
CP: I try and be a better person than I was yesterday- which is the thought process I employed going into 2020. I’m ending the year having drunk much more alcohol, exercised much less, and been a much less patient parent than intended. The only GOOD thing I did was outwardly let go of things I couldn’t control.
VY: Lose weight.
Victoria Yang and her daughter at the Spicy Fest 2020
What has 2020 taught you about New Year’s resolutions?
CMJ: Mostly that you shouldn’t wait until the end of a new year to start working on things. And to always stay flexible with how your goals might happen. My goals definitely got topsy-turvy this year but overall they have all turned out in a great place.
CP: 2020 has taught me “You plan and God laughs.” No matter how hard you resolve, there are some things no resolution can impact.
VY: Don’t make New Year’s resolutions.
What is your biggest New Year’s resolution moving into the year 2021?
CMJ: I want to do more no phone retreats as I did for our November issue. I’ve been doing that a lot over this holiday and it’s made a major difference. I’ve also started focusing on the bit of our income that we can give to charity and understand that I can’t solve every problem so why not focus on specific issues in the world. This December issue about giving back is also offered me a lot of ideas on ways to help charities and get my children involved even at an early age and I really appreciate all the people that gave their time to share their stories. So I want to involve my children and some kind of ongoing charity work to help them understand exactly how they can help their world and the people in it a little bit more.
CP: 2021 I will continue to work on my MBA and improve my overall health- because even small steps forward are the right direction.
VY: Lose weight again.
What are your thoughts on New Year’s resolutions? Have any tricks for success when setting and executing New Year’s resolutions? Let us know in the comments section below.
KEEP READING: 2021 Resolutions: How Not to Talk to Children
Photos: Unsplash, Uni You, Victoria Yang
