This is the time of the year when people start recollecting their old, constantly broken New Year resolutions and this time, please spare yourself the pledge of commitment to losing weight or your money buying a membership card on your favorite gym, knowing the fact that you won’t be consistent.

Remember the time you even promise yourself that the last cigarette stick you’re going to puff was last December 31, 2017 at 11:50 pm and now look at you, already on the second box this day. Or the fact that you even promised yourself that you’re going to take care of yourself better now, quitting alcohol and quitting the job you’ve been dreading so long.

In fact just don’t promise anything to yourself except…. being your utmost, authentic self.

No, being yourself doesn’t mean being rude or an ass to other people. Or indulging yourself on every alcohol that your lips could taste until you knock out yourself, feeling almost dead physically and mentally. I’m saying that you should become who you really are without the condescending personality that you want to unleash on every human being you encounter, or living a care-free life that you’re almost trying to slowly commit suicide by over-indulging on something.

Instead, you should become the person you’ve been caging inside for years. Speaking out the thoughts, the burden and the words you’ve been burying inside. Be brave, stand up for yourself and become the person who will save yourself without being mean or bully or just a plain, straight up bitch.

Become the person you’ve been day dreaming every single day when  you sit onto your office chair. Take the vacation that has been on a constant delay because you’re always prioritizing your work. Time will inevitably pass and sooner or later, you’ll realize that you’re too old to have a long walk or too easily get tired. There’s always going to be work and something to work on, treat yourself first.

Stop being apologetic for being sensitive or for needing the time alone or for taking care of yourself first before other people. Stop feeling guilty for saying ‘No’ to other people on the cost of your inner peace, time or even your emotion. Break away from toxic relationships that cause depression, anxiety or those people that makes you physically, emotionally and spiritually sick… no matter who and what they are in your life.

Start cultivating yourself to become the person you know you’re going to be proud of, 10 or 20 years from now. Not promising yourself to lose weight doesn’t mean you’re going to just binge eat whatever the heck your hand could grab on to, it only means that maybe, you should start by having a proper discipline in all kinds of ways and manner first, rather than doing cold turkey on a specific vices.

Pull yourself away on the norms and social pressure you’ve been carrying for years and start accepting your flaws, you think your flaws are and what other people see as your flaws. Embrace every little thing in your skin, your body or even your mind because that’s going to be your forever. Train your mind to be your own good friend rather than treating it as a trash bin where the only thing you fed on it are cynicism, regrets, stress and depressing thoughts.

From this onward, It’s best to start this year by being nice to yourself, remind yourself to pat yourself on the back every time you wake up and rise from your bed. Be proud on yourself that you’re still facing the day no matter how dreadful or stressful you know it will going to be. Because after all, life is tough and wrong people makes you cold. If there is another thing you could promise yourself this year…. It’s the love for yourself above anything else. Prioritizing the thing that makes you happy or your soul swoon despite the cruel, pessimistic and hateful world we live in.