A Commitment-phobes New Year’s Resolutions
Amadou
A Commitment-phobes New Year’s Resolutions
So the New Year is here (hooray!). Between all the food, booze and non-stop partying, admit it, you’re thankful December 2015 is O-V-E-R – bring on 2016! And like every New Year, you’ve probably already made a list of resolutions to be better. But let’s be honest, by Valentine’s Day, that 12-month pre-paid gym membership or goal to be nicer to your mother-in-law has probably been replaced by more late-night kebabs and a special voo-doo doll made of your partner’s mom underneath the Causeway Bay bridge (This is actually possible!).
So why not try your hand at some New Year resolutions that don’t require commitment? At the end of the day, sure a resolution should change a habit you don’t like about yourself, but it should also encourage experiencing something you haven’t done before. Because guess what? That new experience might be something you actually like! And if that ends up being true, you’ll likely do it again and again.
Here are 5 low-bar resolution I’ve set for myself you might also enjoy:
1. Meditate at least ONCE this year!
Living and working in Hong Kong can be both amazing, and downright exhausting. The term work-life balance? Yea, good luck finding it in the local dictionary. So my first commitment-phobic goal is simple: Meditate at least once this year. I’ll find a quiet corner (or janitor’s closet) and say “om” 10 times in a row. There, resolution done!
If I’m feeling like being a bit more adventurous, I’ll try my luck at one of the city’s newest crazes: Gong Bath
Image courtesy of Red Doors Studio
Simply Put: Savasana meets a Pink Floyd album – Imagine you’re at the end of a yoga session (savasana), calmly laid out on a mat, while someone penetrates your soul with the vibrations of brass gongs. Yes, it sounds “out there” but if Nirvana is a gong away, how bad could it be?
Then again, I could always check out YouTube
2. Try Going Vegetarian (Emphasis on TRY)
Be honest, besides breakfast, how disappointed do you get when there’s no meat on your plate? Yep, you know that feeling! Even the simplest salad better have some chicken if it’s going anywhere near your mouth! I might not swear off meat for next 360+ days, but maybe one day wouldn’t be so bad? Luckily Hong Kong’s got some amazing vegetarian spots to try. So there goes resolution number two! Wanna try them yourself?
Here’s a suggested list:
Wild Thyme
Mediterranean flavours with no lamb in sight
Address: Lee Wai Commercial Blgd, 4/F, 1-3 Hart Ave, Tsim Sha Tsui
Ahisma Buffet
An all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet under HK$100?!?! (I’m there)
Address: Shop B, G/F, Wah Hai Mansion, 10-16 Fort Street, North Point
Mana!
Fast slow food at its finest
Address: 92 Wellington St, Central
Chilli Firgara
Vegetarian Sichuan food with a (good) burn
Address: 7 Old Bailey St, Central
3. Drink Better Beer
Life is too short for HK$8 cans of Carlsberg from 7-11 every Friday night in LKF. Resolution number three? Start trying some of Hong Kong’s unique craft brews for change. There are already SEVERAL. OPTIONS. AROUND for crying out loud!
4. Take a Staycation
Yes cheap flights make travelling from Hong Kong easy for everyone. But you know what’s cheaper? Not travelling for your holiday, period. There are so many jaw-dropping outlying islands in Hong Kong, so resolution number four? Take one of the long weekend public holidays we have this year, and check out somewhere green for a change, like Cheung Chau Island
5. Get Cultured (While Drinking for Free)
It’s an open secret in Hong Kong: If you find yourself in Sheung Wan on a Thursday night, you’re bound to stumble into an art gallery with a launch party going on. And what do they have at those parties? Wine, wine, and oh yea, art. So my last resolution’s to visit one of these fine spots, get cultured for a change with some art, and swing down a few glasses of Red in the process :-) #CulturedWino
Amadou is an American-raised, Hong Kong-based writer, communicator, and all-around lover of travel & food. He speaks four foreign languages and loves recommending new and exciting things to people whenever they go somewhere new. When not managing his day job, you’ll probably find him at a happy hour or at the park with his Maltese Terrier, Maxx.