Editor’s Column by Mariëtte Burger New year, clean slate

Welcome to your fresh slate…

That’s how I like to look at the new year. New Year's Eve historically kicks off that mad scramble when almost everyone makes some kind of resolution.

Sharing a similar mindset last week with the calendar year creeping up another digit, I found myself contemplating my own resolutions, mightily inspired to try and be my best self this year.

You’ll note the emphasis on try, because every year when I make a resolution I really want to keep it - or them. But, I'm beginning to learn out of experience that I'm just never able to make it stick.

Nonetheless, I always look forward to the new year and the enormous promise it holds.

As 2019 begins, it’s an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and outline our priorities for the next 12 months. Now, this year, apart from exercising more and living a healthier lifestyle - which are probably resolutions I set (and break) each year - this year one of my resolutions is to break a record.

The idea behind it is to set a goal of breaking a personal record - personally, mine is to try and see how little time I can spend on my phone and social media sites.

The website I found this inspired idea on, even suggests you might try and break a world record.

I might be going for the most New Year’s resolutions broken in a lifetime.. although, I’m probably going to have some stiff competition in that regard.

Another suggestion posted on the site is to make a new friend every month - it suggests you attend more social events, spark up conversations with co-workers who aren’t your friends, or have a chat with strangers.

Another suggestion for a different New Year’s resolution is to learn something you never learned as a child. Or, resolving to eat a new food each week.

However you might have decided to start the new year, and whichever resolutions you have decided upon, let's just resolve to do 2019 right - realistically.