New Year Resolutions! =)

Hello people what's up! It's been a few days of chilling at the beach, enjoying the sea breeze like nobody else's business, in Kuala Terengganu! After 9 hours of travelling on the road, wooohooo finally I'm back at home! =p

The infamous year 2012 is coming tomorrow! Yes it's tomorrow! Are you ready for it, to face the year full with devastating myths that the world is coming to an end, pushing human to the brick of extinction? The upcoming of the year 2012 tomorrow also literally means that today is the last day of 2011! What will you be doing on the last day of 2011, so that it could end the year perfectly, memorably? For me, I will probably just stay at home although I wish to go out somewhere and join the mass to count down, welcoming new year! =) Who says you can't stay at home and count down at home, with your dearest family? =) 

New year resolutions, something seems to be outcast to me, suddenly struck me recently. I thought I should make a list of new year resolutions, to enrich my life even more, to live my life to the fullest. What seems to be alien to me suddenly inspired me, and I was so determined to make a list of new year resolutions. I never made a list of new year resolutions all this while, mainly due to the perception that it would be futile if we forget about it on the second month of the year (which a lot of us do, frankly). 

So here I will make a list of new year resolutions, as well as the ways that I will implement shortly after this, to ensure that those new year resolutions will stick with me throughout the year! My new year resolutions are as below: 

1) Reduce my bodyweight for at least 10kg before my final exam on May/June 2012 

This is definitely not impossible as I've started my mission to achieving this goal! Here is the plan: Eat a few slices of bread, eggs and low fat milk as breakfast; rice (fist size, preferably brown rice) and steam chicken breast (or steam whatever protein source as substitution, take off the skins and fats surrounding the meat), with vegetables and fruits as lunch; fruits as dinner (eggs, milk and a few slices of bread/oat as dinner for post workout at gym). No sweet drinks, no curry, no noodles or kuey teow (mihun is allowed though), no fried stuffs. Eat more vegetables and fruits, and drink water more frequently! =) Wish me luck! 

2) Study for knowledge sake 

All this while, I always study last minute (or at least 2 months before any major exam), after procrastinating and enjoying my life before the realisation strike me that the exam is just around the corner. Most of the students always study just for the sake of exam, not knowledge sake (and that includes me). This is wrong and I shall amend it! I shall start studying for the sake of pursuing knowledge, in other word I should really understand the topics within the syllabus (not by rote learning), if possible outside the syllabus (although not necessary). Learn more beyond the scope of what would be asked in the exam, enables us to understand the topics better with wider scope of knowledge and interlinked information. 

3) Learn trading in the stock market 

It might sound absurd for me to learn trading at such a young age, and I know it is not exactly the right time for me to learn it. I've missed an opportunity for me to learn basics of technical analysis (taught by my previous FM2 lecturer, Mr. Teh), but with my interest abounds, I read about simple technical analysis on Investopedia and Stock Chart. Indeed it is a great site for trading novices like me (although I haven't started trading on real life), cause whenever I have time, I could read on my own, on whatever topics that catch my interest. For this one week holiday enjoying life at KT, I've read some topics about behavioral finance, technical analysis especially oscillators & indicators (MA, MACD, OBV, Stochastic, RSI etc) and some technical terms of finance (such as bond, yield, option, hedge, futures, derivatives etc).

I've been following trading blogs especially my lecturer's one as he consistently update his blog daily. I know by reading alone wouldn't really help me in trading, but that would at least introduce me to the fundamentals of the method. Without any losing experience, nobody will earn money even the geniuses. The first cruel fact about trading in the market is everyone will lose money. Those who do not lose money (including those who win some money) are within the top 20% of the market. Hmm... just wait and see if I could learn something from my new Economics lecturer, Mr. Mohan (he has been trading in the stock market for 15 years now). I will probably learn more after my A2 next year! =) 

4) Travel to at least 5 foreign countries 

Since I would be flying to the UK next year (hopefully if everything goes well), I will grab the opportunity to travel to as many countries as possible, mainly European countries since UK is quite near to its neighbouring countries like France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland etc, if possible US and Canada too! =) 

5) Learn ice skating

After 19 years of life, I never actually try ice skating before! It seems to be so fun although with all those butt kissing the floor scenes for the novices (of course including me)! 

6) Read at least 10 books 
I've bought a number of books from a book fair a few months back at KLCC, and now I'm only reading Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. Yes I still haven't finished reading it after so many months. Only manage to finish about 2/3 of the book. Would try to finish up Fooled by Randomness and The Black Swan by Nassim N. Taleb, The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and some economic books by Tim Harford by the end of the year 2012. =)

7) Learn cooking before flying overseas 
I must learn how to cook before flying off to UK! Well at least to cook some healthy yet simple and tasty diet for myself! For now I only know how to fried stuffs (eggs, fish, chicken, vegetables etc) but I don't really know how to prepare complicated food, or 'quality' food. I don't want to fry everything up, I want something more healthy. Steam food always? That will be plain boring. Shall spice up my diet plan soon! Will check out some recipe book on the Internet soon! =)

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So these are my 7 new year resolutions that I've set up for myself! What about the ways to implement it as I've mentioned in the beginning of the post?

1) Be more disciplined in my eating habits and diet 
I should take care of my own health although I'm still very young. It would be too late by the age of 50, to start eating healthy cause everything inside my body would have been literally polluted/damaged should I continue my prior eating habits. Nobody will take care of you except yourself. Love yourself before loving other people.

2) Always bring at least one worth-reading book inside the bag 
Have a book with you always inside your bag would evoke you to read it during leisure time, or while you're waiting for any public transport in Malaysia (since it's quite famous for its inefficiency and time consuming). Of course the book should be book that can provoke more constructive thoughts while reading. By so doing, I will be able to finish at least 5 books by the end of the year, since I can read while travel from Casa to college or vice versa.

3) Stop playing Facebook games (or reduce the time on it) 
Facebook games are in fact very time consuming and not beneficial. I know this would take extremely great self-discipline for me to completely stop playing Facebook games, but this would be a gradual change. Slowly reduce the time to play Facebook games (I'm currently playing Maple Story Adventure), which will lead to complete halt of playing it in the end of the year. Time is precious, and should be used to the fullest for the sake of knowledge pursuit and broadening social network.

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There you go, 3 ways to ensure myself sticking to my new year resolutions!

By the way, I went to Kinokuniya at KLCC today with my relatives coming all the way from Penang. I was searching for some books at Finance and Investment section, and 2 books caught my attention so I bought it. I Love Stock (by Pauline Yong) and The Upside of Irrationality (by Dan Ariely). I Love Stocks is the first book I bought related to trading, and The Upside of Irrationality is the book that would be next reading material upon finishing Predictably Irrational (also by the same author), soon! =)

Tonight my family is having barbeque as dinner, with my relatives coming from Penang! Wooohooo! Time to join them for fun! =p Ciao~

Happy 2012 New Year, everyone! =)