Four meaningful resolutions for Singaporeans

Now that we’ve all settled down from the new year celebrations, it’s time to get into the business of making resolutions.

But most times, these promises to ourselves to be better people or to save more money never get accomplished because we don’t get down to doing it.

This year, it’s time for a change.

Maybe we’ll be able to accomplish more this year, if we work together on these Singaporean resolutions for 2017, that is.

1. Aim to eat less

A common resolution for many, you can find new meaning in this easily broken resolution this year — you’ll be reducing waste too!

Last year, Singapore had over 785,000 tonnes of food, of which only 13 per cent was recycled.

Many organisations, including the National Environmental Agency (NEA), have since stepped up their plans to stop food wastage, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears.

Being Singaporeans, we love to eat, but we need to be able to stop ourselves from over ordering food, or to have the courage to ask for smaller portions.

The excessive food waste usually ends up in our landfills or in the ocean, which is definitely not good for us in the long run.

2. Spending more time in Singapore

Every year, many people vouch to spend more time with their families or friends before it is too late. This year, why not spend more time at home?

Be it going to museums, reading up on the history of the area you were born in, or following one of the many heritage trails along the streets of Singapore, you might find something unexpected during your #ExploreSG adventures.

Personally, having followed a heritage trail once, if you take the time to talk to residents you may meet along the way they will be more than happy to tell you about how they’ve seen the estate grow.

And if you spend more time discovering what lies beyond skyscrapers and a water-spitting Merlion, you may just find a deeper meaning to being “just another Singaporean”.

3. Being more politically involved

2017 also marks the year of the next presidential election.

Singapore will see our second Malay president, with a reserved election that led many to argue that it was a form of a “pity vote” for Malay contenders eyeing the position.

This year will be a very interesting one for Singapore politics. We can only keep our eyes peeled and hope we don’t end up having a presidential election like a certain freedom-loving country.

Some might think that this is not a big deal, but our voice could affect what we see in parliament. Unless we speak up for what we stand for, we won’t be able to see much change.

4. Be more accepting as a society

Face it, Singapore is not perfect. We often nitpick on issues like how people from different generations seem to love to criticise each other, or how some have been discriminated because of the colour of their skin.

Rather than complaining about these issues and being loudspeakers into a void that won’t provide a solution, we can start the year by striving for acceptance in our society.

If we’re a country that’s supposed to work together to achieve greatness, wouldn’t that be easier if everyone could just get along without the trouble of discrimination?

With these Singaporean resolutions, maybe at the end of the year we’ll be able to say that 2017 was the year of change for the better.