2012 New Year’s Resolutions

After a great vacation visiting family in southern California I’m back and ready to dive into 2012! I had time to really think through some of the changes I want to make in my life this year, and, in no particular order, here they are:

1. Be more punctual. Given that I meant to put this post up last Monday, I guess I’m not off to a great start here. But it’s something I want to change. And by punctual, I just mean, “be where I need to be, when I need to be there, without going into panic mode to get there,” whether that’s being on time for a playdate, picking up my kids from school, or getting my behind back in the kitchen when the oven timer goes off. Right now when the fire alarm goes off in my house, my kids don’t even blink. They know it just means Mom burnt dinner again. I’m tired of running around feeling like I’m five minutes late to my own life.

2. Own less. I’m disorganized, I admit it. Some women can handle being a writer and a stay-at-home Mom with one hand tied behind their back (although frankly I don’t know how they get much typing done). But I’m not one of those women–and in 2011 I felt like my house was in a constant state of disaster. So instead of “organizing” my house I’m just going to give a TON of stuff away. Being the caring, compassionate parent I am, my first task was to make my kids walk out this value by giving away a ton of their stuff. Specifically, the tinker toy/light brite/K’nex/Lego/Lincoln Log stew that was oozing out of their storage bins. So, bye-bye storage bins. I thought they might hate me. But guess what? One week down and I think we’re all happier not to have our nightly fight over cleaning their room.

3. Try something new. I have a new writing project swirling around in my head. It’s different than any book I’ve ever written, and honestly, I don’t know if I have the skills as a writer to pull it off. But I’m going for it anyway.

4. Take better care of me. 2011 was a whirlwind. I finished revising/copyediting Seeing Cinderella (which is coming out in just a few months!!!!). I wrote a few hundred pages of a book idea I eventually abandoned. I wrote Plastic Polly and am almost finished revising it. I’ve tried really hard to stay present to my family as my writing life has grown. But something had to take a backseat and (besides my house) that meant any kind of fitness/healthy habits I had went by the wayside. So I decided to join many other writers, agents, editors, and bloggers and participate in Change Write Now, a challenge dedicated to building a healthier lifestyle. Here’s to a Healthier 2012!

So that’s me! At the end of this year I hope to share a post about how I’ve rocked my resolutions, instead of my usual pattern of forgetting about them by mid-January. What about you? What are your resolutions for 2012?

(Also, middle grade author Sarvenaz Tash interviewed me and is doing a giveaway on her blog of SEEING CINDERELLA you can enter it Here)