Victor's New Year's Resolutions
New Year's eve, 11.59 a.m. Amidst the grand celebrations; the colourful, magnificent fireworks; the partying; and the company of loved ones, we count down the seconds leading to the first of January. Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year! Positive emotions run high, noise is made, and nobody young and sexy falls asleep till two in the morning on this celebrated first day of the year.
Happy New Year!
Hangover or no hangover, it's a brand new day, and a brand new year. Often, if one has nothing better to do, one's mind tends to drift. Since it's the new year, and because life is lived with each individual's self-interest placed above other priorities, our drifting minds almost invariably approach the subject of how we can improve ourselves during the coming year.
You see, with the high spirits, camaraderie, and high-flown emotions effected and exacerbated by the New Year, many people mistakenly and temporarily believe that they have turned into new people, and that throughout the course of the year, they will miraculously be able to improve themselves. In their unbridled optimism, they write out lists of unrealistic goals that they expect to be able to accomplish during the coming months, only to be exposed to the fallacy of underestimating the amount of effort that has to be put in in order to accomplish said goals. Lists that we refer to as "New Year's Resolutions".
Has anyone ever heard the aphorism "Be the change you want to be"? Change needs not to be realized on New Year's eve; it can be realised any day of the year. Start in July, August, September. As long as one has the willpower and the necessary impetus (often absent in the minds of many resolution makers), change is possible any day of the year. Wanna lose weight? Set a goal. Work out until you feel like dying, and do it over and over again until you become dead tired of it; then suck it up. Realise that even though you've been doing this for a month, you haven't reached the results you desired, double your routine, and continue until you achieve your goal without compromise. Wanna become smarter? Read. If you're not good at academics, you'd naturally be inclined to think you're not going to improve and that other people have better natural talent than you. However, Rome wasn't built in a day. Stop making excuses and improve yourself.
It's nice, though, to have a tangible and realistic list of goals for yourself, however few of these you'll eventually accomplish; and I'll say that despite my cynicism, I have indeed compiled one for myself. Said list follows.
BY VICTOR TAN
Happy New Year!
Hangover or no hangover, it's a brand new day, and a brand new year. Often, if one has nothing better to do, one's mind tends to drift. Since it's the new year, and because life is lived with each individual's self-interest placed above other priorities, our drifting minds almost invariably approach the subject of how we can improve ourselves during the coming year.
You see, with the high spirits, camaraderie, and high-flown emotions effected and exacerbated by the New Year, many people mistakenly and temporarily believe that they have turned into new people, and that throughout the course of the year, they will miraculously be able to improve themselves. In their unbridled optimism, they write out lists of unrealistic goals that they expect to be able to accomplish during the coming months, only to be exposed to the fallacy of underestimating the amount of effort that has to be put in in order to accomplish said goals. Lists that we refer to as "New Year's Resolutions".
Has anyone ever heard the aphorism "Be the change you want to be"? Change needs not to be realized on New Year's eve; it can be realised any day of the year. Start in July, August, September. As long as one has the willpower and the necessary impetus (often absent in the minds of many resolution makers), change is possible any day of the year. Wanna lose weight? Set a goal. Work out until you feel like dying, and do it over and over again until you become dead tired of it; then suck it up. Realise that even though you've been doing this for a month, you haven't reached the results you desired, double your routine, and continue until you achieve your goal without compromise. Wanna become smarter? Read. If you're not good at academics, you'd naturally be inclined to think you're not going to improve and that other people have better natural talent than you. However, Rome wasn't built in a day. Stop making excuses and improve yourself.
It's nice, though, to have a tangible and realistic list of goals for yourself, however few of these you'll eventually accomplish; and I'll say that despite my cynicism, I have indeed compiled one for myself. Said list follows.
- Obtain grades of 7* for at least three subjects, ideally all of them, in the upcoming mocks for progress reports by doing what is necessary to obtain these grades.
- Complete any and all obligations on time, or prior to the deadline(s) of submission; it will be a stressful semester.
- Maintain and improve friendships with peers, never take them for granted, and respect them.
- Exercise for at least an hour every day, until I reach a weight of 65 kilograms.
- Know your enemies, and either allow them to fade into obscurity, or simply fail to associate with them.
- Obtain a score of 800 for SAT I Math.
- Obtain perfect score for SAT II.
- Live up to, and exceed, the expectations I have for myself as a member of Taylor's College Sri Hartamas Model United Nations.
- Strive to be the best in everything, ECA or academic related, and never make idiotic compromises.
- Be a genuinely nicer person, and learn how to appreciate people better.
- Improve my interview skills.
- Become immune to fear from pressure or intimidation, particularly in the atmosphere of an interview.
- Get admission to the best school I can think of. At the moment, this is MIT.
- Take, and capitalise upon all opportunities I get.
- Be a diligent human being; No slacking. :(
BY VICTOR TAN
