Last year I resolved to get back into shape, get more out of my weekends, write another novel, keep my technical skills up, rebuild my circle of friends and to continue to build my brand.

Well, I think I’m in better shape now than I was last year at this time. I probably got more out of my weekends in 2013 than I did in 2012, but I can always do better. I did not write another novel. My technical skills are greatly improved over the previous year. My circle of friends is regrettably  quite small, and my brand is basically nonexistent at this time. So I’m batting .500 for the year. Or maybe .333 with a couple of walks thrown in.

So here are my resolutions for 2014:

1. Stay in shape. It’s too easy to let my body go when I get busy, especially when my energy runs lows. But that’s a downward spiral. The less I work out, the less energy I have. So I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, and build my body up as best I can.

2. Write something. It seems like I’ve been in editing-only mode for forever. And I still have plenty of editing to do this year. So I don’t think I’ll have the time to write a whole new novel before the end of this year (unless something dramatic happens, which is always possible), but I at least want to get started on one. I’m not sure what it’s going to be yet, but I need to start thinking about it before I get rusty and start doubting my abilities again.

3. Family trips. We’ve been home-bound due to my illness for so long that we’ve missed out on some of the great trips that kids are supposed to take with their parents: Disney (which I’ve never been to either), camping, canoeing, Sunday bike rides. I just want to make the weekends and vacations count, whenever we can.

That’s all I’ve got for right now. I think 2014 is going to be a very busy year for me and my family. I just don’t want the day-to-day hectic life to overwhelm the enjoyment of my kids’ childhood. They’re at a great age right now, and I want to be a participant in their lives, not just an observer of them.