Ready for New Year's resolutions? Read this first

 MANILA, Philippines - The year 2010 is coming to a close and people are at the tail end of what has probably been a month-long exercise in excess. We went for seconds, if not thirds; raised our glasses to toast maybe one too many; used our credit cards more than we had intended and stayed out later than we had planned, only to wake up with nasty hangovers, sleep-deprived and walking around like zombies.

By now, we are probably getting ready to write those New Year’s resolutions, negotiating our exit strategy from the aftermath of our Christmas folly. Come January, we find ourselves craving a vacation, just so we can regroup and detoxify.

While much fanfare and frenzy surround the Christmas season, I have learned to remove myself from the chaos and enjoy the simpler pleasures of the season at my own comfortable pace. I no longer subscribe to the idea of measuring the happiness and success of the season with the number of parties I get invited to and attend, and the amount of gifts I give and receive. So if it means I go to only three parties and receive only two gifts, that is perfectly fine with me. Instead, I take pleasure in seeing the Christmas decor and lights all around me, I look forward to coming home and seeing our Christmas tree all lit up and I find joy in listening to Christmas carols, especially when sung a cappella. I anticipate our time together as a family because we are complete; we get to relax, take a break from work and, when our budget permits, go on a trip. I have become all about quality, not quantity. After all, there is so much more to be thankful for and celebrate about the year that was and has been; in my case, I am grateful for the opportunity to write.

Here are some thoughts to remember when preparing our New Year’s resolutions:

1. Instead of waiting until Christmas to indulge yourself, make it a habit to treat yourself to something wonderful on a regular basis, say every payday, at the end of each month, or whenever possible. Good food, entertainment even shopping does not have to be expensive; you just have to choose well. Also remember that great company is free and abundant. Friends and family are usually up for a nice time, so plan get-togethers whenever you can. That way you don’t feel like you have to make up for everything at the end of the year and get overwhelmed; you can choose which parties to attend and enjoy each one to the fullest.

Celebratory Christmas cocktails for Rafé Totengco with Izza Gonzalez-Agana (right) and Riana Ortiz-Matera

2. Don’t forget to have the yearly mandated medical checkup without fail, especially if you are over 40. Part of treating yourself well is making sure you are healthy. Remember, all the lechon and other sinful treats you partook of during Christmas past will affect your health in the years to come.

3. Get a realistic exercise plan going. Many people dislike most forms of physical activity, but if you want to continue savoring the pleasures of noche buena well beyond 2011 without the aid of medication, it is a must to keep your weight in check and get your body mass index down to a normal, healthy level. If you do get a regular workout program in place, tweak your eating habits with simple, baby steps to complement your exercise routine; this combination will keep you going with little difficulty and challenge. Include foods like oatmeal in your breakfast and steamed vegetables for lunch or dinner. Eat less processed and fried foods and have more freshly prepared food: steamed and grilled are tasty and healthy options. Eating rice or pasta is fine in moderation and if your body can metabolize either quickly enough.

4. Keep yourself surrounded by people who have a positive influence on you. That way, when Christmas comes, whatever you decide to do with your time or money, these people will readily accept and respect your choices.

5. If you are one of those people who have to give gifts to more people than you can count with your fingers, start your search early. That way, you can take time to select thoughtful gifts that the recipients will truly appreciate and perhaps even save money. This will also allow you to go about your daily routine and enjoy the Christmas merrymaking in December without having to run yourself ragged, buying gifts and completing your list. I know some people who start shopping as early as July for yuletide gifts.

6. Find a worthwhile purpose for the year, whether it’s to lose weight, save money, get over a bad habit, invest or volunteer for a cause and stick with it. That way when December arrives, your mindset is largely on successfully fulfilling your purpose and not just on all the food, material presents and revelry.

7. Leave what is in the past behind and look forward to the future. Don’t be a slave or victim of your past; instead, be the master of your future. Seek help if you cannot do it on your own to remove unnecessary baggage from your life, in whatever form. The past cannot be undone, but the future can be plotted with prudence and wise counsel. Once we embrace the promise and possibilities the future holds, Christmas takes on a more relevant, deeper meaning.

8. Keep your life simple, your needs basic and your wants realistic. Don’t be carried away by the hype and commercialism of the season nor other people’s measure of success and happiness. Be true to your circumstances and find contentment in the gifts of health, great relationships, the financial provision to pay tuition and other needs and most important of all, peace of mind and heart. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

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Many thanks to makeup artist Eric Maningat and hairstylist PeeJay Bolias for their time and talent in collaborating with me on the “Woman of Style” feature on Tweetie de Leon Gonzalez last Wednesday, Dec. 22.