Welcome 2017! Another year has passed and already we’ve moved on to bigger and better plans for 2017. Most people I spoke with yesterday said that 2016 was a really bad year for them. And almost all of them couldn’t wait for it to be gone. The joke of every conversation last evening was the new year resolutions made on Jan 1, 2016 and the conversations were interestingly similar in all groups. So I decided to compile a list of the most common ‘quit and start’ new year resolutions taken and broken ever year.

Quit Smoking

Kicking the butt.

Kicking the butt.

I don’t know how many times I have heard people say that come Jan 1st (of the next year) they will most definitely kick the butt. And then I hear the same people say the exact same thing the next year. I know that quitting smoking is extremely difficult. It is one of the biggest struggles people face. So the question that arises is, whether it is better to resolve and fail or not resolve at all?

Quit Drinking

Alcohol induced stupor.

Alcohol induced stupor.

If I had a Rupya for every time one of my friends told the group a hilarious account of what happened to him/her after they were seriously under the influence of alcohol, I would be a moderately rich woman. Interestingly though, in my limited circle of acquaintances, people who drink have found it harder to give up alcohol, as against people who did manage to quit smoking.

Quit Junk Food

Burgers, fries, cheese, nachos...heaven.

Burgers, fries, cheese, nachos…heaven.

This one is my personal nemesis. I love food! Junk food is my personal heaven, Pizza being my absolute favourite. In my opinion everything that is touted to be good for health is rejected by my taste buds with a resounding ‘Yuck!’. I’m guessing other food lovers also experience the same problem. All last month I told myself that I would not indulge. I would persevere and abstain. First thing this morning though, I said, “Let’s have Pizza to celebrate New Year’s Day. My treat!” Yes, I have already used different synonyms for ‘loser’ on myself.

Start Exercising

Weight woes.

Weight woes.

This one goes in conjunction with the one on top. And I can totally identify with the image I’m posting. I spent most of 2015 and 2016 trying to lose weight. I swear I ate all the right things, and killed myself with cardio, in a proper gym, with an instructor. The result? I gained about 3.3 kilos. (No I don’t have problems with thyroid, sugar, or hormonal imbalances) So I went rogue in the last quarter of 2016 and stubbornly did not exercise. I now have a difficult time climbing even one flight of stairs. So reluctantly I have come to the conclusion that I must exercise, if not to lose weight then to at least stay fit.

This is my list compiled from an informal survey conducted on New Year’s Eve 2016. If any of you can think of any others from your friends circle, do share on our Facebook page. I look forward to hearing from our readers.