6 New Year's resolutions you'll make, but never keep

New Year, old you? January is often a time for self-reflection, self-improvement, but mainly self-delusion. Sure, you want to better yourself in 2017, but it’s hard isn’t it? It takes effort.

You’ve tried sticking to New Year’s resolutions before and it’s never gone well. You vividly remember how your healthy eating kick was derailed by your discovery of a Domino’s around the corner from your apartment and you had to abandon your ill-fated gym membership after you tripped on the treadmill in front of what seemed like half the population of Pudong.

Still, if you think 2017 is the year you’re going to do something and make a change, here are some New Year’s resolutions for you to attempt, and then ultimately abandon after about a week.

You all know how it starts: In 2017 I will…

Cook more, Sherpa’s less

You’ve always fancied yourself in the kitchen. You boast a repertoire of at least three go-to favourites. However, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? You’ve gotten lazy. You’re a slave to Sherpa’s. While you have the best intentions and could quite easily cook yourself a steak dinner, what’s the point when a professional chef could cook it for you and have it delivered to your front door by a nice man on a scooter?

If you really want to take a crack at it, online speciality food store GroupMall has a load of ‘hot deals’ on imported cheese, meats and more. And if you want to make it extra fancy, throughout January GroupMall is offering a deal on fresh lobster for Time Out readers only. Visit groupmallchina.com/timeoutshanghai from January 1 for details.

Learn another language

Something for your LinkedIn profile at the very least. Learning another language can be fun, rewarding, and incredibly beneficial both socially and professionally. If you’re not a native Chinese speaker, then there’s no harm in brushing up on your Mandarin skills. Remember when that taxi driver took you to the airport instead of your boyfriend’s house? Yeah, maybe a few lessons are in order. Check out easyMandarin (Jingan Temple) for a choice of one-on-one tutorials, group lessons and online material.

Or why not French? You’ll be a hit at the boulangeries of the former French Concession. Crêpes all round. The Alliance Francaise offers classes for adults and children, plus you can arrange customised private courses.

Eat more local food

You live in a city and a country with incredible local cuisine, so why don’t you eat it? We appreciate that you live near an American diner, a tapas bar and a lovely little Greek spot, but forget all that. Abandon the knife and fork and whip out those chopsticks. Hang on, what’s that? There’s a new Italian place just down the street? Well, it’d be rude not to try it…

Italian restaurants aside, UnTour Food Tours will help you discover the best local eats Shanghai has to offer, including the must-have street food breakfasts.

Bike more

Shanghai is a great place for cycling. You don’t even need your own bike. Highly affordable apps such as Ofo and Mobike allow you to unlock public bikes with your smartphone and leave them wherever you please after you’re done (within reason, of course). Cycling is great exercise – you’ll burn calories with the added bonus of making it to work on time. Sounds great! But then you only live two minutes away from a subway stop...

Explore the city outside of Line 4

But, you live on Line 4, you work on Line 4, and all of your favourite bars and restaurants are on Line 4. You love Line 4. Still, it’s a big world out there. A big city. A big metro network – there are 13 other lines, you know. Get yourself down to People’s Square, the Science & Technology Museum, the former French Concession or the Pearl Tower. Touristy in some parts. Line 4 in no parts.

Socialise without drinking

What? But that’s no fun. How can you have a conversation about the state of US politics without a drink in your hand? It is possible, trust us. Free your mind (and your liver) by hanging out with your friends away from a bar. Go for a walk in the park, take in a football match, go to a coffee shop, an art gallery, go pretty much anywhere else, really. You’re intrigued. You’re going to suggest it in the group chat. Hold up, a message: ‘Pub?’ Ah, go on then…

Hit the gym

You say it every year, ‘I’ll go every day. Or at least twice a week, anyway.’ Sign up for a year contract and after one week the only time you see that gym is when you go past it on your way to dinner, drinks or wherever it is you’re about to indulge. But, you’re already tracking your steps on the WeChat pedometer add-on WeRun anyway, and you’re smashing your friends’ step counts, so who needs a gym?