– Surviving in Lagos can be a very arduous task, but Lagosians are ever determined.
– Lagosians share resolutions to keep them through the year.
The year 2016 is almost one month old, and within the hustle and bustle off the Lagos metropolis, people are fighting to keep the resolutions they made as 2015 died.
New year resolutions are a waste of time to some, to others, they are a necessary benchmark against which the year will be measured? Naij.com spoke to some young people in Lagos; listen to what they had to say.
Jennifer Chinenye Emelife
Jennifer Chinenye Emelife is a young teacher in Lagos who writes beautiful stories.
What is your new year resolution?
“Kai. I don’t have a New Year Resolution o.”
So why don’t you have one?
I’m not very particular about resolutions. Okay. There are quite a few things I wish to change or improve on and a new year is a chance for one to reflect and evaluate. So let’s say, yes, I have some ‘resolutions': to be strategic and not be thrown off by unexpected events, to pray more often, be more tenacious (in my writing) and of course, make plenty money.
Ok, so you do have some places you want to improve in. Why?
This is because I live in Lagos where crazy things happen the most. Strategized planning will keep me prepared for what is ahead. Praying will help me defeat village “winshes” and ah, writing keeps me sane. And it earns some extra cash.
So you think you can win Lagos in 2016?
I think I will win Nigeria.
Ok, I wish you miracles. Anything else you would like to add?
(She laughs) Living in Lagos (alone) is the bravest decision I’ve made. It’s been two years and well, so far, so good. I like Lagos. I don’t, actually.
Hymar David
Hymar David is a gifted writer, troublemaker and hard worker.
What is your new year resolution?
I don’t actually do new year resolutions. It is more a conscious moment-by-moment thing for me. The last resolution I made was to write moor and watch less TV. I am currently here breaking it.
Why is this your resolve?
Because TV is a big distraction. It eats into my writing time.
So, how confident are you that you can meet up with your resolution?
Not very.
Kehinde Adeola
Kehinde Adeola is a tomboy who rides her bicycle around Lagos.
What is your new year resolution?
Yeah, I don’t have a resolution. I see it as a project… and my greatest fear is failure. I am very optimistic, so I just start whatever I want to start, and stop whatever is not productive. I believe our life is timetabled and I am a little bit spiritual, so I leave most things to God. Only those that fulfill their 80% of their New Year Resolution are worth my envy.
Why is that the case?
To be honest, I see no reason why you should set resolutions and not fulfill them. Why set it in the first place? Every year, every month, every hour, every minute and of course every second, you should at least engage your brain in doing something new and productive. So if I set a resolution and it’s not met, then I have failed myself and it will keep piling up. Let those minutes come, and I’ll make use of them judiciously. I like surprising myself, being able to look back, and see how far I have gone without resolution.
Why do you think people have new year resolutions?
Well, everything has a reason, why they have resolution is left to them. It’s just like asking why people eat?
Anything else you would like to share?
Men, the year just started nothing fantastic yet.
READ ALSO: 8 ways to spot a JJC in Lagos (Photos)
Deoye Falade is a UI graduate who works in Lagos and loves comics.
Deoye Falade is a UI graduate who works in Lagos and loves comics.
What is your new year resolution?
I prefer calling them goals as opposed to resolution because I’ve found that falling short of a resolution early into the year makes it easy to walk away from it. But overall goals can still be reached even if you fall short on occasion. I like to keep my goals simple so this year, my goals are:
To spend less on things i could really live without and prioritize my expenses.
To do more as regards my work and make what i do much more relevant.
Improve myself mentally by taking up a course or two on something new (this one has been a yearly one from 2012).
Of course there are additions like: reading more, writing more, networking more, etc.
How confident are you that you can meet up with your resolution?
I’m quite confident that I can achieve my goals/resolutions for 2016. The important thing here is to make them specific in such a way that I’ll have key indicators that show at a glance whether I’m meeting up or not. Also, it’s pertinent to keep these resolutions simple enough – if I have to split them into quarterly or monthly segments, then I will.
Any other thing you would like to share?
I firmly hope that this year will pan out well for us as Nigerians on a general note. Fewer deaths, less thefts, less wastefulness and all that.
That said, it’s important for us to see some fulfillment in making some progress every day, no matter how little. If you’ve got big dreams, you’ll be surprised that taking small, incremental steps might benefit more than taking it all up at once and getting overwhelmed.
One last thing: write your goals/resolutions down as well as the strategies for achieving them. Look at these goals as frequently as you can and note every bit of progress made. Reward and celebrate yourself for reaching them too!
Thank you so much.
What have you resolved to do as to see you survive the ever dynamic Lagos city? Do you think you can achieve all that you have resolved to do in 2016? Share your thoughts with us.
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