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The first weeks and months of a year are usually littered with abandoned New Year’s resolutions. We are, however, all capable of improving our circumstances. Sharing his tale of his first, frigid year in Russia, persevering through solitude and an inability to speak Russian, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer Salem Ziani encourages us to make the most of our strengths, work hard and see our ambitions through to the end.

Like Forrest Gump’s mom always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” I think the year 2020 was a bit of bitter-tasting chocolate for almost all of us. We all confronted fear and anxiety. However, we must also be grateful, because 2020 allowed us to think about our future plans, and to consider our resolutions for 2021.

This was the fourth New Year’s that I spent alone, far from my family. This past year was the hardest for me: I had just arrived in Russia, I knew nobody, I didn’t speak a word of Russian and, without a job, I found myself alone in the world.

I moved to Russia in September 2019 to study. From the beginning I did not like my program because it was not what I expected. As well, coming from the warm weather of the Mediterranean region, Russian winters were very unusual for me. Every day the temperature was -25C, and I had never experienced that.

The most difficult obstacle, however, was the fact that I didn’t speak Russian. I was seeking general employment in industries like restaurants and construction, but I couldn’t find anything because speaking Russian was a must to be hired. I really struggled trying to fit myself into jobs that didn’t suit me.

Then I asked myself: why am I doing this? I had existing skills that I wasn’t using to move forward and become stronger. I could do better. I reminded myself that I graduated with a master’s degree and speak four languages . . . I just needed to learn another one. So I learned the Russian language in three months.

Unfortunately, just as I was building momentum, the pandemic hit, the lockdown started and life became harder again. I remember being very worried about my family, who were so far away from me. Were they healthy? Were they safe?

I was stuck in Russia, with everything around me stopped, but I didn’t give up. I found a teaching job online, taking advantage of my knowledge of several languages. Today, I am among the best teachers of the group. I am grateful for everyone who helped me get through that period and reach the place where I am now.

There is a saying that the tragedy of life is not to aim for the top and miss, but to aim for the bottom and touch it. This year, let’s take the chance of being different. Stop listening to the useless little voices that surround us: let’s dream big. Let’s do it our own way by capitalizing on our talents, our strengths and our advantages. Being different can be a source of energy and progress, and realizing this can unlock happiness.

A lot of people wait until New Year’s Eve to make a resolution and then give up from the first day. Many resolutions are wishes that require hard work and persistence: like caring for a flower, you have to enrich the soil, water the plant and be patient. And even in failure, every day is a new chance to move forward. We don’t have to wait until January of each year to make our lives better.

My wish is that, in 2021, all of us get the best-tasting chocolate. Happy New Year, everyone.

Share your resolutions with us (New Year’s or otherwise) in the comments, or tell us other ways in which you’ve pushed forward and upgraded your life. Better yet, start 2021 right with positivity, encouragement and empathy in one of our Low Entropy meetings.