10 habits I will (try to) stop doing in 2013

NYRCall it a bout of N.Y.R.A (New Year Resolution Anxiety) but this year I want to quit doing some things I’m not particularly proud of. I’m sure there’s more than ten but I’ll stick with the ones I feel are priority. Feel free to criticize, analyze or empathize once I’m done:

Shouting obscenities at bad motorists: I’m not saying I’m the best driver in Lagos but I’m definitely one of the sanest. Up till 2012, whenever somebody cut me off in traffic, I swore. Whenever a public bus a.k.a ‘danfo’ stopped in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off passengers, I swore. Whenever an idiot closed his/her eyes and reversed into my car, nearby parents had to cover their children’s ears or risk their innocence being stolen. This year I’ve resolved to count to ten and take deep meditative breaths…Woosah!

Piling up clothes and dishes…for days: One of the beauties of living alone is that you don’t have anyone to ask you, ‘When are you going to do the washing up?’ I don’t mind and even the rats and roaches don’t mind. The consequent smell, however, does render this benefit short-lived. Don’t get me wrong, I love a spotless kitchen and an empty sink. But I’ve got enough excuses lined up each time I throw in a soiled plate – Fraiser is on!, now NCIS is on!…now The Mentalist is on! Oh look at the time, I have to go to bed now…waking up early for work tomorrow! Well, I do the dishes daily now. As for my laundry I’ve got a washing machine now so those mold mountains are history.

Pacing up and down when I’m on a mobile call: I’ll probably need to add shoes to my shopping list this month ‘cos I’ve worn out most of my soles whilst chatting on my phone. So, I’ve figured out what triggers my pacing – phone calls. Now I need to figure out how to stop it. Please don’t recommend glue, it’s not funny (…actually when you picture it…lol). I could take off my shoes so the soles are safe and then once the soles of my feet start to blister then I’ll know it’s time to get off the phone. Better yet, when my phone rings I make sure I’m seated before answering – that could just work (note to self).

Not updating my blog at least once a week: Work was my excuse in 2012. In 2013 work is still my excuse (surprise surprise). I don’t want to post on my blog for the sake of posting unless I feel inspired. What I will attempt this time around is to write a couple of short articles and release them once a week – a sneaky way to buy me some time. If I don’t do this I might have to make situations happen just so I have something to blog about e.g. leave a banana peel on the office floor, fart in a congested elevator, etc.

Not commenting on other bloggers’ blogs often: ‘I plead guilty, your honor! I would just like to state for the record, in front of all the jury, that I never meant to ignore my blogger fans. The least I will do if I were giving another chance this year is to visit and comment on at least one blog a day’. And the likely responses would ensue:

Judge: Has the jury reached a verdict?

Jury: Yes, your honor.

Judge: Would the jury please read out the verdict.

Jury: On the charge of not commenting on other bloggers’ blogs often, we the jury find the defendant…not guilty (uproar) woohoo!

Not doing exercise daily: Let’s get one thing straight – I’m not particularly out of shape. But at the same time I’m not exactly Channing Tatum (and for you non-movie goers, that wasn’t Latin). I’ve drawn up this timetable which I’ll commence immediately – Sit ups and press ups for breakfast, Stairs for lunch, and Bio yogurt for dessert, of course. With all these I’m sure to have a total body workout and within the next few months I should be in a better position to audition for Magic Mike 2!

Not reading my Bible and daily devotional consistently: Even as I type this post I don’t remember where I left my daily devotional (or when last I read it, for that matter). My physical bible has been enslaved to the backseat of my car indefinitely such that even on Sundays I don’t remember to carry it into church (bible verses are usually projected on an overhead screen anyway). On my blackberry I’ve got a bible app and that’s gathering dust and cobwebs.

Not polishing my shoes …for weeks: I hope my future wife is not reading this. My laziness knows no bounds when it comes to keeping my work shoes polished. I usually give them to my security guard at home and then he finds a cobbler who does the needful (I just concluded one round of shoe-polishing last weekend, phew!). I recall I was given a portable shoe-polishing kit as a gift…but now that I think about it, maybe it was a hint *covers eyes*. Point taken.

Not drinking at least one full glass of water a day: Let’s face it – drinking water can be boring. No taste. No color  No kidding, I hear you say (wise-ass). In 2012, this was my ‘drink list’ in order of most drunk to least drunk – Fruit Juice, Fayrouz (Sparkling Pear-flavored drink), Sprite, Milk and then Water. Having said that, the recent heat wave in my office (thanks to the breakdown of the air-conditioning) has rendered my unit’s water dispenser perpetually empty. I love water so much now. I’ve learnt my lesson. Even when the air-conditioning is back up I’ll continue to drink pure, tasteless, colorless, boring water.

Lastly, I ‘ll try to stop spending so much on takeaways. Today I turned over a new leaf – I made pasta and took it to work 🙂 Today was pasta with tuna and mayo. Tomorrow will be pasta with red sauce and diced frankfuters. Er…any idea what else I can do with pasta in under 10mins???

That’s all folks!

14 thoughts on “10 habits I will (try to) stop doing in 2013

    • Loool. Maybe I’ll just a text to all my contacts stating that they should tell me to sit down after I pick up the phone! I dunno…if at first you don’t succeed, try again.

  1. Chicken & Pasta salad : Boiled chicken(diced/shredded), carrots,cucumber, lettuce, sweet corn and mayo(if you want) depends on you. Chuck in the fridge and that’s it! you can add more vegetables if you like.
    It’s like you stole my list of things 🙂 Apart from the obscenities, shoes and takeaway bit, this is totally my list..lol
    May the Lord give us grace to achieve them all.

    • Amen! Thanks a mil for the mouthwatering recipe. It’s dead easy and it adds variety to my pasta lunches, lol. I’m thinking of doing yam/plantain and eggs once in a while. Perhaps I could treat myself once a month (payday) with a takeaway treat…this is me bending the rules a bit, lol.

      • You’re welcome my Oga.
        Here’s a simple and easy one(modified the recipe to suit groceries i had at that time and i came out nice 🙂 )
        Ingredients
        Potatoes(Cut into average cubes)
        Corned beef / minced meat
        Onions
        Sunflower oil(healthy things LOL)
        Mixed Vegetables
        Pepper
        Seasoning
        Breadcrumbs(I needed to finish the last slice)

        Recipe
        Boil potatoes till soft, set aside.
        Add oil to pan, add onions and allow to fry for 30sec – 1min (depending on how you like your onions)
        Add Minced meat / Corned Beef
        Add Pepper and spices if you like
        If you are using corned beef i’d advice no salt or sparingly use it.
        Allow to fry for say 3-5 mins
        Stir in mixed veg
        Leave for 2 mins
        Stir in potatoes
        And voila Food is ready

        To make it “Posh”
        Pour mixture into an oven proof container
        Sprinkle breadcrumbs
        bake in the oven for 5-10 mins or till top is golden brown and crusty

        I’m no Jamie Oliver but i hope you like it 🙂

  2. I love your list! A reverse resolution list, so to speak. Good luck with it, and I would love to hear how it is going! Think of the money you will save by not buying takeaways (one of my two new years resolutions). 🙂

    • Thank you, SQS. I’ve started saving money already and I’ve noticed that I only tend to use cash during the week to fuel my car. I’d normally just buy snacks for the sake of it if I had cash on hand.

      I’ve also noticed less wastage. Prior to my NYR I was throwing out stuff from my fridge that either went off or expired. Why? I was eating out and not in. Losing money from both ends. Well, not anymore! Woohoo!

      Good luck with your NYRs too *thumbs up*

      • I’ve taken to cooking up stuff that is ready to get thrown out in the next few days. I had some yucky old apples that I cooked up into stewed apples. I then had some crepe mix that was going bad so I cooked that up, laid the stewed apples accross it, added some sour cream and maple syrup, rolled them up and YUM! Best dessert I had for ages… and to think it was so close to getting tossed away. I tooke the leftover crepes to work and my co workers all enjoyed getting a taste.

        • Nice. I used to watch a cooking show about leftovers (and how they got a ‘makeover’ in under 30 minutes). It’s interesting what you come up with when you’re willing to experiment. Generally I don’t always stick to the expiry dates EXCEPT when it comes to dairy products (urgh!). The smell of milk that is five days off is unbearable!

  3. Thanks for choosing to follow my blog, jollof! What have been your most memorable airline meals?
    Also, Lagos, that’s one of the few cities left in the world I’d really like to visit…but how’s the street food scene?
    Agreed about the water. It’s not a taste thing, but I just never do it. Isn’t eight glasses a day though the recommended amount?!

    • 8 glasses is about right but I personally try to do at least one pint (that’s a triumph for me, considering). About the meals ‘in the air’ I think the most memorable thing is usually the dessert – anything with a chocolate or cream filling…gateaux memories *sigh* About the street food scene in Lagos, it’s crazy! From noodles to hot pounded yam with vegetable soup, Lagos street food scene is full of variety…and cheap too. As you would expect with any outdoor eating experience, be weary of hygiene 🙂

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