How to Keep New Year Resolutions

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Most of us, either on the evening of the 31st of December, or on the 1st of January look back on our year and make some resolutions for the new year. Somehow the start of a new year becomes a catalyst for people to start thinking of changing their lives. But as we all know, the majority of resolutions start to fade out by the end of January and by February, most of us abandon our resolutions. So what can we do to ensure that we stick with our resolutions and end 2020 on a high note? Here are seven steps you can use to keep your resolutions. Read on…

Keep it Small and Simple
Sometimes we want to completely change our lives and do a 360 degree lifestyle change. This simply put, does not work and you will only set up yourself for disappointment. Instead focus on a few important goals and work towards them in the year. Change a couple of specific behaviours at a time and you will succeed.

Talk about it
Share your experiences with family and friends. Blog about it if you are a blogger. Once your goals become public, then you become accountable about them. The more public your resolutions are, the higher the chances of it becoming a reality. You can also put the resolutions in writing and share it with family and friends and ask them to keep you accountable about it. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up
Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Be realistic
Don’t aim too high and ignore the ground realities. If you have made a similar resolution previously, then look back and take stock on why you failed earlier. Learn from past failures so that this time you are able to succeed where you failed before. Set realistic goals this time around and you will surely succeed where you failed.

Create Mini Resolutions
Building up to your resolution, you could also create mini resolutions leading to the big one. Say you want to lose 10 kgs in a year, then break that down to 1 kg a month or even 250 gms each week, which looks very achieveable as opposed to losing 10 kg which feels unsurmountable.

Celebrate Successes
Celebrate all achievements, however small they may be. If you manage to tick off a small aspect of your resolution, then do something to celebrate it. Continuing from the previous example, if you managed to lose a kg, then do something for yourself – go for a spa treatment, buy a book or even some clothes for yourself. This way, you are constantly cheering yourself up and you have something to look forward to when you hit your mini milestones. You could also plan for celebrations for each milestone achieved and this will then further motivate you.

Dont Give Up
During the year, you will slip-up. But don’t berate yourself and slip back into your old and wrong habits when that happens. Reflect on your past achievements, brush off the slip-up and get back into track again.

In My Hands Today…

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Lies Sleeping – Ben Aaronovitch

Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch . . .



Recipes: Mixed Dal Tadka

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I had been asked to increase my protein intake recently and was thinking on ways to increase the intake. Dals are a popular way in the Indian subcontinent to get protein into your diet daily. So I decided to make the simple dal tadka which is dal which is tempered and added multiple dals to increase the protein levels.

I made this with three seperate dals, but you can make it with just one dal or as many as you like.

This is a very simple recipe and is a real comfort food which can be made in minutes. It’s super yummy and is best eaten with rice or an Indian flatbread.

Mixed Dal Tadka

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup yellow moong dal
  • 1/3 cup toovar dal
  • 1/3 cup chana dal
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
  • 2-3 dried red chillies
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1-2 tsp lemon juice
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Soak the dals in hot water for 15 minutes and then cook it with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in a pressure cooker until it is completely cooked and loses its shape. Cool and then whisk the dal until it is homogenous. Keep aside.
  • If you are using the stovetop, cook it until you can mix all the dals into a paste. Keep aside.
  • In a smaller pan, heat the ghee and when warm, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.Then add the cloves, cardamom and dried red chillies and stir well.
  • Pour the tempering into the whisked dal and let it come to a rolling boil. Season with salt and then crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle it over the dal.
  • Switch off the flame and pour the lemon juice and also the chopped coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot with rice or rotis.

2020 Week 01 Update

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It’s 2020 and we are in a new year! Hope this year has been good to you so far.

We arrived back in Singapore after a wonderful holiday and its back to the usual for us. The children, for the first time in more than 10 years didn’t wake up early to go to school. We all felt a little weird that day when we saw school children going to school, but they stayed at home.

This weekend is also super free for us since they don’t have Hindi school or tuition for the first time in years. It feels slightly strange, but it’s our new reality and one that we are getting used to.

The children are also meeting friends and catching up on what happened in the last month they were away.

I have not yet started working on my business full-time, but am starting to do so. Somehow, it seems to me that I should start on a Monday, which is tomorrow!

Have a wonderful 2020 and a great week ahead!

In My Hands Today…

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The Scatter Here Is Too Great – Bilal Tanweer


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A vivid and intricate novel-in-stories, The Scatter Here Is Too Great explores the complicated lives of ordinary people whose fates unexpectedly converge after a deadly bomb blast at the Karachi train station: an old communist poet; his wealthy, middle-aged son; a young man caught in an unpleasant, dead-end job; a girl who spins engaging tales to conceal her heartbreak; and a grief-stricken writer, who struggles to make sense of this devastating tragedy.

Bilal Tanweer reveals the pain, loneliness, and longing of these characters and celebrates the power of the written word to heal lives and communities plagued by violence. Elegantly weaving together different voices into a striking portrait of a city and its people, The Scatter Here Is Too Great is a tale as vibrant and varied in its characters, passions, and idiosyncrasies as the city itself.