1. If you can’t beat them, don’t join them. Instead, stay true to yourself and your principles, and move forward—-you are capable of being a changemaker.

Many people may be doing it, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. I got stressed a lot last year being annoyed at people for doing unethical things, to the point that I was ready to leave everything behind. I had to keep on reminding myself that it doesn’t matter what they’re doing, what matters is you don’t do the wrong things they’re doing. I guess I’m a bit idealistic, but that’s better than being jaded.

2. Nothing will ever happen if you don’t make time for it.

I often (always!) found myself saying ‘I don’t have the time’. That’s true, considering the hours I spend in the office—-whatever I have left, I spend sleeping (I’m pretty antukin!). I wanted to do so many things for myself, but I never got around to accomplishing any of them because I was too devoted to work. Now, I won’t let anything keep me from going after and doing what I want. I can be an ace employee, but still have time for myself, too.

3. The simpler, the better.

Although I’m not materialistic (I never was, actually), 2011 made me realize how simple I wanted to live my life. I have yet to get to actually living simply, but at least now I know what I really want, what’s really, really, really important to me, and what kind of person I want to be.