Say what you will about New Year’s resolutions, but there’s a lot of power in fresh starts. New Year resolutions get a bad rep mostly because people put too much pressure on themselves to succeed at too many things at a time, and once the New Year’s hype has come and gone, the resolutions are left in the dust, along with the hopes and dreams we had of achieving them.

I fall prey to this a lot. I would have my brand new planner for the new year; a blank slate to start anew and become the person I envisioned in my daydreams. Wake early, meditate, work out, eat five servings of vegetables, drink three liters of water, read, floss, and sleep by 10pm being a few of the many habits I saw myself fulfilling from the moment the calendar page read Jan 1. However, the instant I failed at one of them, I despaired and thought myself a failure, then gave up the entire pursuit altogether. Sound familiar?

It took me many years and many books before I began to learn how to make habits stick, and which ones to work on first, so that others fall in place more easily. Charles Duhigg – author of the pivotal The Power Of Habit – calls it the keystone habit. For example, when you start exercising, better meal choices come much more naturally since you’ve kickstarted a healthy journey.

Another key realisation is that there is no perfect time to start a habit or make a change, so don’t wait for the stars to be in cosmic alignment or for next Monday to start working on yourself. Every new day is a fresh chance to start a new habit that helps you grow in the direction you want.

And forget about streaks! You meditated for 59 days straight then slipped up on the 60th, and now you’re back to zero. So what? Celebrate the fact that you successfully did it for a period of time, forgive yourself for falling off the wagon, then get back on and try again! Life happens. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.” Truly, the only constant is that nothing is.

With that in mind, here are three habits you could consider starting some time this year:

1. Morning Routine: You don’t have to be part of the 5am club but waking up to a clear and quiet morning can truly be life-changing. I’ll save you reading the (rather indulgent and unnecessarily lengthy book) but essentially you should start with physical activity – preferably enough to get your heart rate over 120 so you actually sweat – then do some journaling followed by reading or some form of learning. It echoes the same basics that I acquired from the Well Women Magical Morning workshop conducted by beloved Beijing expats Rebecca Archer and Hannah Northcott, though theirs is catchier and way more fun to learn about and practice. Whatever it is you choose to do in your pre-morning madness time, savour that serenity.

2. Nutrition Log: Almost everyone is dehydrated, from a sliding scale of mild to very. A simple water log app or even pen and paper will help you keep track of how much you drink. You’ll probably be surprised by how little that amount is, and in turn be encouraged to up that intake. It’s amazing how much better your body operates when well-hydrated, especially in Beijing’s dry winters. I might even suggest you go a step further and log your food intake with a simple photo app (maybe you’re already taking photos of your meals anyway!) like SHYE, aka See How You Eat. If you want to go even further, I recently had fun testing a free Water & Poop Tracker app by Zinitt , which allows me to track my bowel movements down to the minute, so you’ll never have to think twice about whether you already “went” today.

3. Photo/video diary: Let’s face it, the days go by in a blur when you’ve got kids, or a healthy social life. So it is really cool to have a straightforward visual diary of what you did last Tuesday, or where you went last summer. I’ve been on the free version of Day One for the longest time and when I’m dead tired, I just choose a photo of the day and save it with a short caption. One super handy feature is that I can tag each entry, so I can see how many times the kid fell sick in 2020 by calling up the “sick” tag. In 2022, I’m going to try the 1SE app which lets you save one second a day, and at the end of the year, you have a 6.5 minute long video of the entire year!

Do you have new habits that you’re starting this year? Share them with us in the comments below!

KEEP READING: 22 Things That Beijing Expats Are Wishing for in 2022

Images: App Store, Unsplash

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” – Bill Gates

This is usually the week when people review any goals they set for 2020, reflect on what they learned, and look to the future. But since this is 2020, I say forget that. Throw your 2020 goals out the window. Instead of reviewing my optimistic outlook for The Year That Wasn’t and getting depressed over how things changed in an instant, I’d rather focus on the challenges my family was able to survive, and how much stronger we are as a unit, and how much more we are part of our communities now.

We like to think that a new year means the old one is forgotten, cast aside like those yoga mats that sat gathering dust in the corner, bought in the whimsy that their nice decorative pattern will be the boost we needed to move more. Out with the old, in with the new. But this year feels different. The trials we all walked through cannot be dismissed with a mere clutter clearing and Roundabout pickup. Months later, every teacher I meet tells their “war story” of how they returned after being stranded overseas during the Chinese New Year, or every family compares the quarantine in Beijing with hotel quarantine outside of the city until enough tests proved we could reunite with our apartments and friends here.

No place like home, even when you’re so young.

I may want to let go of those people who trafficked in nothing but rumors and fear-mongering without evidence, but I will never forget the strangers who reached out with advice on kids in quarantine, or parents who snuck a smile at each other before e-learning started, or those teachers learning entirely new platforms and methods while trying to cater to multiple time zones and learning through a screen. I certainly won’t forget the school counselors who answered my Seesaw pleas for help in navigating young children through it all, and who sent such kindness and compassion even as they were struggling with their own families.

I don’t want to forget how quickly companies had to move to remote working, and in turn, the good bosses also learning valuable lessons in grace for those of us with families or trying to move through quarantine solo. All of a sudden, we weren’t bringing work home, but work and home mingled in a not always elegant fashion. Although I wasn’t at beijingkids at that time, stories of how the whole True Run Media team banded together to not only help one another through this but also their neighbors via the Safe & Sane groups, are now legend.

I don’t want to forget my friend who shipped new masks from China to my sister-in-law, a hospice worker in Seattle Washington who’d been using the same face mask for weeks because there were none available. Nor should we forget the early frontline hospital workers, those still saving lives, and others who continue to give their lives so that we all might prosper.

I’ll never forget how a simple question like “how are you” turned into the more meaningful “how are you doing” or “how are the kids handling quarantine” as well as more commonly being asked, “how are you coping”? I certainly won’t forget hearing when my friend in the states lost his father to COVID-19, and how every one of my own family’s text and video chats means even more now.

I won’t forget how short my temper was with my kids some days, and how they tickled or giggled me back to a smile. I can’t forget how much more honest my husband and I had to talk in order to make the hardest decisions of our lives, knowing how they would affect our children as well. I may never want to go through those particular situations again, but we do have a “crisis shorthand” in our house now, as well as much stronger lines of conversations open with our kids and their emotions.

Running free in Qingfeng Park

Who would want to forget the looks of joy in my kids as we were finally reunited with the incredible support staff in our apartment community, and their thrill at finally being back home in Beijing, a place where they could attend summer camp and look forward to in-person school, no matter how socially distanced. No mask can contain the smiles at returning to outings in favorite playgrounds or visits to our favorite restaurants.

Many milestones may be a different experience now, but the bonds our families and friends endured last year will create even stronger bridges to this new cycle around the sun, carrying us safely to 2021. We don’t need to forget or cast off last year; these last two weeks taught us that. Now that we know more about everything than we did last year, we can shift back to a caution mode without fear. We can explain what’s happening to our kids in deeper terms than “The Big Germ” (how we refer to COVID-19) and “the virus”.

If we do need to take harsher measures to keep these new cases tampered down, we will be ready and able to handle it. Many in our city already changed their New Year’s plans to a smaller and quieter celebration, schools are in daily communications with their students, and we have some idea of the possibilities if it gets worse before it gets better.

By working together that way, we can be optimistic that 2021 will bring many better memories than worse, thanks to the lessons of 2020. We now know how every decision an individual makes can affect their greater community.

I wish to hold last year close, It’s part of us now, the losses and strong community bonds will hold our hands through whatever the next year, or two, or ten, brings.

KEEP READING: Habits For Humanity: Books to Nourish Gratitude in Children

Photos: Cindy Marie Jenkins

Now that everyone in Shunyi is back from the winter holiday break, there are many activities to consider and post in your 2013 calendars. What’s coming up:

Roundabout News:
Raising over RMB 33,000 during the November book fair, Roundabout is now preparing for the next one to be held on January 19 at the BSB Shunyi campus from 10am-3pm. Proceeds from this book fair will benefit a 16-year-old girl suffering from bone cancer. Her December surgery will need follow-up chemotherapy, and Roundabout hopes to be able to assist her poor family in the efforts to save her leg and her life.

If you are able to offer your volunteer time for this event, here are some needs:
Friday, January 18: Set-up includes putting up the tables and loading baskets with books; starts around 10am.
Saturday, January 19: Any time between 9:30am-3pm you can assist at a cash desk, the reserved desk, taking e-mail addresses, re-stocking books and helping customers.
To inquire, please e-mail havasg@t-online.hu or call 139 1002 4146.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!
New Year’s Resolutions often include exercise and fitness, so here are a few options to consider:

*Bollywood Dance begins again in the River Garden Dance Studio – no age restrictions or previous experience needed! Enjoy colorful costumes, energetic choreographies and great exercise while combining western and traditional Indian dance styles. Join on Tuesdays with Orli at 10am (ginossar@gmail.com) or Thursday with Cindy at 11am (cindylabollywood@gmail.com). The first session is for you to try out for free!!

*Spring Tai Tai Tennis sign-up is on Thursday, January 17 at Jamaica Blue (Yosemite Clubhouse) from 10am-noon. Players of all levels are welcome to join this doubles’ league, running from the end of February through mid-May. Cost is RMB 200 per person, and it includes the end-of-season lunch and prize giving. For more information, e-mail beijingpennant@yahoo.com or call 136 5134 6314.

*A new Step Aerobics class begins at Dragon Bay. Beginners to Intermediate level classes run on Fridays from 9-10am; e-mail Antje at antjepfeiffer@ymail.com. Advanced students with previous experience meet on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:30am; e-mail Sonja at allesotho@gmx.de.

*Spin + is a tremendous cycling workout set to great music with guaranteed results! For various levels and opportunities, contact Stella Chan Marinaro at 186 0127 4767 or stella@achievingbalance.asia. Spin + classes are held at the Human in Motion studio in the Cathay View Garden Plaza (near WAB).

Photo by dixieroadrash of flickr.

Bidding farewell to last year and ringing in the new needed to be grand. While we can be energized by looking back at the events and accomplishments of the past year, we also look forward to new things to come (resolutions, anyone?). I had a particularly difficult 2012 on several fronts, and was happy to say goodbye to it while anticipating the positive changes that 2013 may bring. 

So, in order to officially bid 2012 adieu, my girls and I participated in some exciting and (for me) daredevil types of activities in beautiful, sunny Hawaii. Saying that word alone — “Hawaii” — and one can’t help but glow with the warmth of all the images it creates: beaches, surfing, volcanoes, sunshine, relaxation, and on and on and on…

Our family broke the trip into three parts. First, we were in Maui for the more “resort-y” and pampering of our stays. That didn’t disappoint, and some of the fun things we did included the obligatory luau and a fun whale watching boat adventure. Whale season begins in mid-December so we were a touch early to see much breaching, but we did get to watch a mama and her baby play in the ocean a bit – much closer than I expected — and it was spectacular.

The second part of our stay was the North Shore area of Oahu, where surfing and big waves are legendary. We explored by snorkeling and then embarked on a very exciting shark cage excursion. My husband shied away, but my girls and I got up at 5am to boat out three miles and voluntarily enter a tethered shark cage, seeing Galapagos sharks up close and in person – a least a half dozen or so at a time. While our own 20 minute dip in the early morning ocean was a bit brisk, nothing will ever take that thrill away. My underwater camera didn’t do the blue waters justice, and the magnificent creatures swam away faster than I was able to click while bobbing in the ocean.

Our final portion was bustling Waikiki, where New Year’s partygoers were en masse. There was no way I could keep my two young ones in bed and asleep as midnight approached, so we were able to semi-participate in the celebrations from our hotel balcony. Our highlights here included a 1,000 foot tandem parasailing adventure – all together – with a “dip” in the ocean upon our descent back to the boat. “Brave” mom, trying to keep the sense of adventure together for the kids, had a death grip so tight on the rope that my right arm and hand were numb for about two days afterwards (as if squeezing the rope would help in any way should disaster strike).

The girls have so very many highlights of the trip they have trouble listing a favorite – aside from the above, there was surfing, shopping (yes, American shopping!), seeing so many beautiful rainbows in the “Rainbow State” and so much more. I wanted to make sure that there was something memorable at each step of the way, even though participating in these wouldn’t make or break the vacation. It was Hawaii, after all.

For me, though, it was cathartic. I needed to say goodbye to 2012 in a grand way, and welcome 2013 in an even more spectacular fashion. No matter how long jet lag takes to get over or how hard it may be adjusting to the very cold temperatures here, I can close my eyes and remember the simultaneous thrills and relaxation of Hawaii — and be ready to begin a brand new year.