Resolution

Oh, it's very good to be back to blogging.  Let's see, in the past twelve days that I haven't added fresh posts, I've accomplished a few things: eating an impressive amount of chocolate covered pretzels (totally worth it), accidentally letting ten dollars worth of Kohl's cash expire (who does this?), painting several rooms in our house (more on this later), and enjoying Christmas and New Years (hope you did, too.)

Now that we're in a brand new year, I'm thinking about resolutions.  I've discovered that the key to sticking with a resolution is making it as concrete as possible.  For example, instead of setting a resolution to "eat better," which is fabulously nebulous and something I could break by noon tomorrow, a better resolution would be to eat one extra serving of vegetables at lunch each day.  Or, to limit yourself to only two chocolate covered pretzels at a sitting.  Whatever fits your needs.

I've never been one to set many resolutions in the past, but I do have a resolution for 2012.

I am going to finish writing my book. 

I've been hesitant to blog about this, fearing that it's a pipe dream.  Worrying that it's never going to come to pass.  Doubting whether I have the talent or wherewithal to complete such a task while raising three children, teaching classes each semester, and living life.  Come to think of it, folding laundry alone consumes enough time to make me question the feasibility of the goal.

But this year I'm doing it.  In fact, I have no choice because during the fall I signed a book contract with Byrne Publishing and I will be submitting my full manuscript by September 2012.  As in, I have an actual due date.

It's terribly exciting.  It's also a bit terrifying to the point that I occasionally want to curl up in the fetal position.  But mostly it's exciting.

I can't wait to tell you more, and I will.  Oh, I will tell you plenty more when the time is right.

But for now, I really would like to know one thing: what are your resolutions?  (Do they deal with chocolate covered pretzels?  Because that might be the next item on my list.)