Last week, I wrote about A Writer’s Resolutions on Full Moon Bites, a book review blog which celebrated its first blogoversary last month. I had five writerly resolutions: to read more, to write two books this year, to blog more, to go to a big conference, and to regularly update my website.

I don’t normally make New Year’s Resolutions. I mentioned in a comment on Linda Poitevin’s blog that I don’t see the sense in waiting for a certain do to make a change in your life, and I also don’t like joining the crowd and doing what everyone else is doing. This year, though, January 1st came at the right time for me. Not only is this the time to get my writing career under control, it’s the right time to get my personal life under control as well.

2011 was an insane year. The first half is a blur. Seriously, a blur. All I remember is being sick, being in pain, and itching. God, the itching. It sounds like such a silly thing to complain about, but I came down with PUPPs, a rare pregnancy problem that causes itchy rashes, and cholestasis of pregnancy, an even rarer complication that caused my liver blood levels (or whatever it is they measure) to be worse than an alcoholics’. I am probably the only person on the planet to have both of these complications. It sucked.

The second half of 2011 was equally insane. The pregnancy drained the creative energy out of me. Everything I wrote during the first half of the year, I rewrote after my twins were born. Then, The Shadow Reader hit the shelves and The Shattered Dark was due. Oh, and then there was Christmas. In short, I was a disorganized, stressed out mess all of last year.

This year, that changes! In addition to my writerly resolutions, I have several personal ones as well.

1. Lose 15 lbs. Gah, I hate jumping on the bandwagon and including this one, but it needs to be done. I’ve lost all but 5 lbs of my pregnancy weight, but I gained 10 lbs the year before last that definitely need to come off (two surgeries and infertility treatments and living abroad/eating out a lot will do that to you).

2. Give more. People have been so incredibly generous to me and my family this past year. I really want to give back, not just to those friends and family members who have helped us out, but to the community as well. I want to consciously include giving in our monthly/yearly budget, and do what I can to help others.

3. Return to church. I met my husband at a church. (I’ll have to tell that story someday. It’s kind of a funny, coincidental meeting.) We’ve gone to church off and on over the last six years, but it’s been VERY sporadic the last three or four years. I think church is a great way to get involved in a community and to help people, so I’d like to find one to go to, join, and become regulars.

4. Be a better friend. I get caught up in my imagination too much sometime. I forget there’s an outside world and that I need to spend time in it. As a result, I don’t keep up with people as well as I should. This includes other writers I’ve met online. I want to periodically check in with everyone, make sure there doing okay and just keep in touch.

5. Be a better home economist. I can’t really believe I’m writing this one down. Ten years ago, five years ago, probably even one year ago, I didn’t care about home organization, meal planning, family time, etc. That’s probably one of the biggest personality changes I’ve had since having my boys. I want to run this home efficiently. Learning how to do that takes a lot of time, and with the boys requiring attention and a book needing to be revised, it’s difficult to fit it in. I’m going to find a way to do it all, though. Somehow.

Any of you make any resolutions this year? If so, what are they? And have you broken any yet?