Every year comes and goes with its good and bad sides and this usually necessitates many Ghanaians making resolutions for a new year. However, these resolutions are usually not fully met, in spite of the efforts people put in to actualise them.

The year 2015 was no exception as many Ghanaians struggled to meet what they resolved to do or achieve.

Once again we are in a new year (2016) and typical of humans, many Ghanaians have made new resolutions.

Resolutions require extra commitment to fulfil.

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Generally, resolutions which are not born out of everyday simple life activities are difficult to attain. It is in line with this that a little bit of thinking through needs to be done to make resolutions practical.

My over 75-year-old mother gave me a litmus test to help me make the right resolutions for the New Year (2016) and this is what I wish to share with readers.

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For a start, can we make a checklist of all the good and bad things that we did in the past in order to arrive at a good year resolution plan.

In juxtaposing the two behaviours – good and bad – if we did more good than bad then we can confidently say we are on track, which needs to be enhanced in our journey through 2016.

However, if our bad deeds far-outweighed our good deeds, then we can regretfully conclude that we were deficient in character, which requires that we go into 2016 with a reformed attitude.

I trust if we all go through this simple quiz faithfully, we all can make individual resolutions easy to attain and by extension make 2016 an opportunity for growth for mankind.

A friend in a new year wish pontificates, “If today were perfect there would be no tomorrow. But God in His infinite mercy gives us a tomorrow so we can make more perfect what we could not today.”

Thankfully, a new year has dawned once again and it is also my conviction that the Grace of God would guide us to make 2016 a better year for all of us and humanity.

In 2016, it is also my wish that Ghanaians will have a change of mentality and attitude to serve mankind and the nation.

This year, being an election year, our political leaders and parties must strive to lead the way in adopting a mentality of service to humanity.  They must also endeavour to have accommodating attitude for all regardless of status. After all, leadership is all about serving the interest of the people and not self or partisan interest.

Similarly, the attitude of the Ghanaian worker must also change to impact positively on the socio-economic development of the country. There is always a delicate balance between the chicken and the egg, as to which is more important. That is why it is imperative for the Ghanaian worker to play their active role in the well-being and sustenance of the economy in the ensuing year.

Big issues

Notwithstanding the peace and democratic gains chalked up over the past year, the country was sadly saddled with high debt portfolio, challenges of corruption, energy crises (dumsor) which led to the resignation of Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor last week, judicial bribery scandal, Ameri Power deal, and rebranding of Metro Mass buses at an exorbitant cost to the taxpayer, which also led to the resignation of the Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Ativor. There were also labour agitations, especially from the doctors’ front, adversely impacting on the economy. Sanitation difficulties as well as societal indiscipline were also a dent on the nation.

Arms of Government et al.

Going into the New Year, the three arms of Government – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary – must take their work more seriously and play a leading role in ensuring that 2016 becomes a year of opportunity for fulfilment and growth for all Ghanaians.

Both the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition parties, particularly the dominant New Patriotic Party (NPP), must ensure that they act responsibly,  as we go through the electoral