Amira Azzouz 
You’ve probably seen tons of people post their “New Year, New Me” plans and resolutions, and while some find it a cliche, to me, a new year represents a new digit, where you get a chance to take a minute for yourself and decide what you need to change about your life. There’s no such thing as a good or bad year, it's all about your actions and the decisions you make. It’s you who has control over the people in your life and the things you spend time on and it’s definitely not the other way around. I’ll share with you my list of resolutions that I promise to work hard on achieving, and of course in return that will help me make 2015 a much more exciting year. In 2015 I plan to:
1. Be healthier. I definitely need to be much healthier than I am today. Start off my day with a proper breakfast, drink less soda, cut down on junk food and include more vegetables and fruits within my daily snacks. I also need to start working out, I already have a daily schedule of planks and squats, which I started yesterday. Yoga or dancing classes? Sounds good, but I hope I can follow through. Last but not least, I also intend on going on weekly morning bicycle rides.
2. Even though I drink water regularly, I think my intake needs to increase even more. I saw this picture of a woman who drank three liters of water on a daily basis for a month and her skin looked flawless. Reaching that level would be a dream come true.
3. Focusing is something we all intend to do, yet we tend to slip along the way or get distracted. What I’m doing differently this year is writing my two top goals in my agenda on a daily basis, which will keep me motivated and focused towards where I’d like to be. I might not get there this year or even the next one (yes, I have big goals), but each day I’ll work hard towards making them happen.
4. Take the stairs instead of the elevator! It’ll definitely help me eliminate that lazy side of mine.
5. I realized I only try out new things when I have guests over or when I’m abroad, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The excitement that comes along with trying out new things, even if it’s as simple as giving a new dish a try, is something we all need in our lives. Having said that, I’m planning on doing new, and perhaps even adventurous activities on a weekly basis.
6. I’m a food lover, but there are certain things that excite me more than they should. This year, I’ll be eating more ice-cream, cotton-candy and drinking more watermelon and sugarcane juice. You have my word on that!
7. Wave inhibitions goodbye. I’ve always thought of myself as quite the risk-taker who loves pushing the boundaries, but right after I do so, second thoughts come to mind, which make me doubt things a bit. A friend pointed that out, and after thinking about it, I couldn’t quite figure out why that happens. Moving forward, I’ll try to minimize inhibitions and follow through without second thoughts.
8. Travel to new places! While I enjoy shopping and luxurious hotels, it’s time to take traveling to a new perspective. I’m planning this year to go for at least one or two trips with an adventurous perspective, think exotic countries!
9. Working around the clock doesn’t always help you have a proper social life, but I’m determined to change that. I’ll do my best to be a smart worker, spend less time at the office, make new friends, be a better friend to my existing ones and a more caring daughter who helps out around the house and spends quality time with her family. I bet most of the people out there have that same exact problem, don’t you?
10. I love reading and watching movies, they tend to take you to another place, an imaginary one where you can go as creative as you’d like to. And yes, spending more time on the couch with a book in my hand or watching a movie with delicious popcorn is on my list.
11. I’m not a big fan of my phone and as a matter of fact, I try ditching it at home whenever I get the chance to. One of the most important resolutions for 2015, is less texting and more face-to-face interaction. Who can say no to that?
12. I recently got the best new year’s gift ever. What is it? Jumia sent me a trampoline because they knew how much I love it. Apparently I can’t stop going on and on about how much I love trampolines. Now for my last resolution, I’ll be jumping more often on it, as it simply puts a huge smile on my face.
All in all, you’ll find that my resolutions have one common factor. Which is? Wait for it! In 2015 I’ll work more on being an even happier person than I am today. Have you compiled your own list yet?
