A new year always means New Year’s resolutions. It’s a fresh start for everyone and a time to start new and better traditions and habits.

I don’t typically make New Year’s resolutions because I’m not one to make drastic changes just for the sake of making them or just because the calendar starts over.

However, I do aim for certain things as I organize and prioritize my life all year long. For example, I make goals to fix or finish certain projects around the house, goals for giving the kids certain life experiences and fitness and career goals for myself. Beyond that, there are always dreams…those make my list too!

For this year, I made a goal of having the patio and pool redone at our house. The patio was not built for a family of 9 plus a dog and I felt that if we expanded it, we would spend more time outside doing barbecues and making more memories. I accomplished that goal around the little kids’ birthday in May.

The main thing that the end of a year causes me to do is to reflect on what I’ve learned that year. The year of 2011 for me was a year of gaining complete independence, and learning to look for solutions in every situation instead of focusing on the problems.

This year, I learned that if I want to accomplish something, whether it’s hanging a picture in my home, building a chicken coop or running a marathon, it’s all possible if my mindset is one of determination and positivity!

I also learned to step back and survey the situation before acting on something. For the most part, this has worked and overall I feel more peaceful and more confident that I can handle whatever life throws at me. I’ve also noticed my kids are becoming problem solvers, too, which is very encouraging!

I truly believe that at the end of very year, it’s important to look back on what you have done well and what you have learned. And it doesn’t have to wait until the calendar adds another year!

I’ve always said that I don’t live apologetically; I live passionately! A great way to do that is to learn from the past and make it better in the future.

Happy 2012 everyone!

- K8