2014 Resolution check-in

Every year I do a bunch of resolutions. I write out a nice long list, then never look at it again. Not because I don't want to do the things I set out to do, but because the resolutions are more of a general guideline of where I'd like my life to go in the next year, and I like to forget entirely about what I promised myself, then check back in the next year, and see what I had thought I would do versus what I actually did do.

Usually, I do this a little more privately, but this year I figured what the heck? May as well do it here.

So, here were my resolutions from last year. Below each resolution is how I did. I'm leaving in last year's introduction in because reasons.


DECEMBER THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN

This year, I need to be more focused. I need to concentrate on myself (ack, I hate even typing that...you'll see what I mean.) I need to stop wasting time on a bunch of little things, and tackle and complete a few big ones. We shall see.

I'm nervous because 32 is supposed to be my best year. (When I was 16, I decided that 32 would be my best year, and 26 would be my second best year. 26 was the best and the worst year of my life so far. That's the year I had the babies. ... Of course, when I was 16, I also decided I'd die in a car crash at 31. And, so far so good?) CHECK. NO DEATH.

ANYWAY

10) Quit smoking.

Nope. I mean, I kind of tried a few times. But definitely didn't quit. 0 points

9) Finish Holy Seed

This is a book I'd started a while back. I didn't even look at it this year. 0 points

8) Write parenting book

Nope. 0 points

7) Get 10 pieces published (not counting Huffington Post or Buzzfeed).

Killed it. I got 57 pieces published in 21 publications, not counting Huffpo or Buzzfeed. 2 points (extra point, because come ON. I killed it).

6) Do well in school

Done. All As. 1 point

5) Live healthier (go to the gym more, and eat better. Stop drinking so much wine, stop eating anything after dinner).

Nope. I got so sick and injured this year that I had to stop going to the gym. I just started going back two weeks ago. And I still eat like shit. And stop drinking so much wine? What was I thinking? 0 points.

4) Read 12 books. (try to read every gd day).

Nope. I still can't get through The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I've been not-reading it allllll year. 0 points

3) Go to bed by midnight every night, 11:30 p.m. on nights the babies have school.

Done. Being sick and injured all year helped. 1 point

2) Publish REDACTED (again), and write one more novel.

Done kind of. I was able to resell that book, but I only got 8,000 words into the next novel under my pen name before that essay kind of changed my path. .5 points

1) Improve my platforms.

Done. I increased Twitter and Facebook followings by a fair amount and my blog got a lot of hits. 1 point

**Extra** make $100 a week.

Done. Starting in July, I began making money from writing for the first time. In those six months, I made enough money that it comes out to more than $100 a week for the year.

1 point.

So, out of 10 points for the year, I got 6.5. That's a decent haul.


FOR KIDS:

5) Get them to be nice human beings 75 percent of the time (stuck at 40 percent)

Amazingly...DONE. Up until October they were still pretty much horror shows, but after making a lot of big changes in how I parent, I've got well-behaved children right now, and have for two months. What even? 1 point

4) Stop yelling at them. (OMG OMG PLEASE STOP YELLING AT THEM).

Done! One of the huge changes I made in my parenting in October was to stop yelling at them. And I was actually able to do it. 1 point

3) Read to them every day.

I'm going to count this as done. They read themselves now, so I don't have to do this. 1 point

2) Have them do chores every day.

Half done. When they are sick, I stop making them do chores and then I forget to make them start doing them again for a few weeks by accident. But they do them when I tell them to. .5 points

1) Get them to accept that they are different girls and can do different things.

Done...mostly. We still have random freak-outs where one won't eat something because the other doesn't want a snack, or something equally baffling, but compared to last year? So. Much. Better. .5 points.

So, out of five kid-points, I got four. Damn good, I'd say.

Stay tuned for this year's goal list.