This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Resolving Not to Resolve

New Year's Eve is approaching! What is your plan for 2012? Mine? I decided a while ago not to make New Year's Resolutions. Why? Read on to find out...

2011 is slowly winding down, the embers of another year cooling.  As I prepare to bid adieu to the year, I look back at a whirlwind ride, not atypical for any year, but momentous and original all the same.

There are many more comprehensive lists ticking off the major news stories of the year, but as it does with anyone, a few instances, both in the public world and in my private life, stand tall among the blades of grass.  Japan’s earthquake and resulting tsunami.  Casey Anthony’s trial.  The approaching election cycle.  Local School board elections.  Disgrace at Penn State.  I’ll let other people cover these, as I’m not an expert about any of that, though I did write twice about Penn State on my personal blog.

My expertise is in covering the stories of my life and family, and 2011 was a year that both sped and crawled by.  My job was restructured.  My grandmother passed away.  My twins were born (on local TV, nonetheless!).  My dog died.  My older kids are, apparently, fish -- they passed swimming levels I never expected them to pass.  Our garden produced more yellow squash than I knew how to cook.  School started.  I began writing for Patch.com.  Due to an unforeseen circumstance, my husband’s job became more time and effort-consuming.  My son .  My daughter had her first dance recital. 

Find out what's happening in Iowa Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And here I am… at the end of a marathon.  I wish I could say that there is time for me to catch my breath before starting 2012, but life and parenting don’t work that way.  2012 will bring crawling babies, walking babies, running babies, climbing babies.  It will have homework, soccer practice, dance lessons and baseball games.  There will be planting and caring for the garden, a new flock of chickens and maybe this year, a turkey or two.  Swimming lessons, playing outside, riding bikes, and getting mosquito bites.  School will end and start again.  Work will happen.  Sickness, health, dental and eye doctor appointments.  Elections.

Through it all, there will be love, laughter, frustration, and joy.  Growing a family requires every resource at one’s disposal, and then some.  No mere resolution will guide our clan into the bold New Year.  We will write and re-write our family’s mission statement, changing it with circumstances, crafting it to weather both bleak and blissful times.  Every day is a new page, every week a new chapter in the book of 2012.

Find out what's happening in Iowa Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Were I to enumerate resolutions, they might include “to connect with my spouse,” “to model better behavior for my children,” “to support my friends in their endeavors,” “to improve my performance at work and in play.”  But, honestly, those are the principles that guide my daily interaction with the people around me.    I resolve these things, resolutely, every day.  Some days I nail them, some days I don’t.  But the good thing about turning the page on a new day, new week, new year, is that I get to try again. 

I have tried to hold myself accountable for other resolutions in years past, but I have decided that I was making those unattainable resolutions without the maturity I hope I now have – the maturity to realize that, realistically, I don’t deserve to set myself (or anyone else) up for failure.  So my successes are small.  I hope that they are also impactful to the people in my life who matter the most.

What are your resolutions for 2012?  And Happy New Year!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Iowa City