Realistic Resolutions for 2013

Making resolutions for 2013 has been tricky.

Last year I moved to Paris just as the year was beginning and I had all sorts of grand plans for the year, so my goals were easy to articulate.

But this year is full of uncertainty. Things I can’t talk about yet — but the bottom line being I have no clue where I’ll be, or what I’ll be doing with my life, six months from now. I could be in Italy, Thailand, or some country that hasn’t even popped onto my radar yet.

However, I love making New Year’s resolutions, so I’ve nailed down a few that are manageable this year no matter what happens down the line.

Respond to emails within a week

I am notoriously, atrociously bad at replying to emails. Unless you have a serious emergency or catch me in a particularly productive mood, it will take me weeks to respond. (Apologies to any of you who have already experienced this.) I’m tired of starting off nearly every email with, “Sorry for my late response…”, and the subsequent feelings of procrastination guilt, so this year I’m resolving to stay on top of my inbox.

Travel to at least three new countries

Due to my currently unknown future, this could either be incredibly easy or difficult to achieve, depending on my next job and location. But even if I only get to one new country, I’m okay with that so long as it’s in a region I have yet to visit — Southeast Asia and Western Europe are no longer strangers to me, so I’d like to branch out: preferably somewhere in Eastern Europe, the Balkans or even northern Africa.

Move to a new country

Whether I stay in Europe or move back to Asia is yet to be seen, but I am 99.5% sure I will no longer be in Paris by the end of the year. While I’m already devastated just thinking about leaving my friends (as well as what that will do to the blog readership — I’ll be sad to see the Paris fans go), I have high hopes wherever I go next will be just as exciting…and possibly a bit cheaper.

Post at least 12 times a month

Pretty straightforward. I’m aiming to post often, not only to keep the site current but to finally cut down some of my dreadfully long backlog of posts and photos.

Go one month alcohol- and meat-free

I was pescetarian for three years, yet despite how healthy I felt, gave that up when I moved to Paris: no way I was missing out on steak and frites. Similarly, I went without alcohol for most of my life but gave that up when I turned 21 and moved abroad permanently. I’d like to go one month without alcohol and one without meat (and perhaps one without either, if I can muster that much will), just to see how it affects my energy levels and overall health. Relatedly, I’d like to do more research on the Affordable Care Act, since I’ll no longer be on French healthcare after I finish my job in Paris later this year.

Talk to strangers

I’m a shy extrovert. Meaning, I am incredibly sociable — so long as someone else makes the first move. I am not a first-mover and have to give myself pep talks before I have the courage to start up a conversation with a stranger. This year I resolve to talk to more taxi drivers, waiters, people standing next to me in line…anyone who looks like they have a story to tell.

Organize more group gatherings

I live to be a Connector. For me it’s not enough to make new friends wherever I go, but I also have this insatiable need to connect everyone I know.

In Singapore, I was always organizing a dinner or barbecue or party to introduce new friends to old. But in Paris it is so damn hard to get a group of people together without planning weeks or months in advance to suit everyone’s calendars. I hate seeing friends, who I know would get along, not even be cognizant of the other’s existence. It’s like we’re all living in bubbles, co-existing in Paris but never bumping into each other.

After a year of countless one-on-one coffee dates, I will pull together more group dinners and outings and I will get my various social circles together this year. Once I break those bubbles and know my friends are also friends with each other, I can leave Paris happy.

Anyone else have big plans for 2013?

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