What are your New Year resolutions?

By Maria Famakinwa
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New Year resolutions which cut across cultures and ethnicities has become a trend world over. Nigerians are not excluded due to the perception that making such resolutions will guide people towards achieving their set goals for the new year.

However, it is easy to make  resolutions than fulfilling them. The Hope spoke with some Nigerians on their New Year resolutions and steps being taken towards to  achieving  them.

An Akure based commercial driver, Mr Saka Oludele, said  his New Year resolution is to be sincere to his wife and be a responsible father to his children. ”I have made up my mind that this year 2020, there will be peace in my marriage. I don’t want neighbours coming to settle quarrels between me and my wife anymore because of my irresponsibility. My wife almost packed out last year,  but I promised her that I will change.

”To further prove to her that I am ready to be a responsible father, we went to church together for the cross over service. She was surprised to see me going to church with her and this will continue throughout  the year.”

A young graduate, Miss Nireti Adeoye, said  her New Year resolution is to fight depression and evil ministrations which she revealed almost took her life last year. ”My New Year resolution is to guide my heart jealously against any evil thought and depression that almost made me commit suicide last year because I am jobless and age is not on my side.”

She disclosed that she had registered in a fashion school with her parents’ support which will take up to two years. ”This will keep me busy for the next two years,  hopefully Mr Right will come before then.”

In the submission of a civil servant, who gave his name as Tunde  revealed that his New Year resolutions are to quit smoking and get married. ”I want to marry before the  end of the first quarter of this year and quit smoking. This is very important because my mother had vowed to pack into my house if I refuse to settle down this year. Much is expected from me as the first child,  especially now that two of my younger ones are married.”

On how he will achieve his New Year resolutions,  he explained that he has resolved to do away with bad friends who  always lured him to beer parlour and pray to be accepted by his former fiance who left him because of his attitude.

Another civil servant, Mrs Bola Olalekan, said her New Year resolution is to avoid  debts and be more prudent.

On steps being taken to achieve this, she  said,” I want to be more disciplined and  contented with what I have. I want to live within my income this year unlike last year that I ran into serious debts, even avoidable ones. I have decided to stop buying clothes and other items that are not important on credit. These are the major reasons most salary earners are not saving, because we want to copy others which, greatly  affects our take home.”

Also, a trader, Mrs Morufat Adebisi, in her New Year resolution promised to serve her creator better this year. ” I want to serve God more this year than ever before. Though, I made the same promise last year, but things did not work out as expected. But this year, I pray God will help me to fulfil my resolution to serve him better and justify his reason for sustaining me.”

A retired civil servant, Mr Edet Robert, said his New Year resolution is to be more concerned about his health and exercise more. ”Last year, I had serious issue with my health,  but I thank God for seeing  me through. The reason was because I was careless with my health. Even the exercise I was advised by a doctor to be doing on a regular basis was neglected. This will be given priority this year. I pray  God help me.”

Speaking differently, A businesswoman, Mrs Funmi Ayeyemi, argued that she did not believe in New Year resolutions because  many who made resolutions hardly keep them till the second month of the year.

According to her, ”many are making New Year resolutions to be heard. If one is truly ready to change positively, it is not until you announce to the whole world. Let people see the change in you and not you telling people you want to change. Mere announcing it make it difficult for them to fulfil it, because they are already under pressure. Pressure  makes fulfilling the New Year resolutions on the part of many difficult. Some people make yearly  resolutions without any change because it takes determination and discipline to fulfil New Year resolutions and not mere saying.”