The year 2005 is a done deal, and it’s time to focus on the year ahead. As I have done in years past, I picked up a pen to half-heartedly scribble down my goals for 2006.

I’ve always thought of New Year’s resolutions as a seasonal tradition, like kissing someone under the mistletoe around Christmas or eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. And like those other customs, my resolutions have faded with the end of the holiday season.

My list of unfulfilled goals is probably twenty times as long as the number of years that I’ve been on this planet. There have been financial goals that would have made me a millionaire by now, fitness goals that would have given me a physique to rival any professional body builder’s, and career goals that would have made me a high-profile corporate dynamo. What were my resolutions for 2005? Beats me. And I can’t find the old envelope that I used in 2004 to write them down. Or perhaps that was the year that I resolved not to resolve anything.
I considered going that route again. If I am going to be so half-ass about the whole thing, then why bother?

But then my pastor posed a question during his Sunday morning sermon that made me rethink my position. “Will 2006 be another year or a new year?”

If this is just another year, then no resolutions are necessary. I can go on as if the calendar still says 2005. I’ll make no effort to change my life in any way, all the while complaining about things that I don’t like.

Or I can accept the onset of 2006 for what it is – a symbol for a new start. I’ve got another 365 days to shake things up a bit.

After looking at it that way, I decided to take another shot at making resolutions. My life is good, but there is always room for a little improvement.

So, here goes. I am sharing my 2006 resolutions for a couple of reasons. If I publish my them, those who know me will hold me accountable. Plus, this blog is a much better place to store my goals than on the back of an old envelope.

Diva’s 2006 Resolutions

• Wake up every weekday at 6 a.m. by February 1. Most days, it’s a struggle for me to get up by 7:30. This is problem if you have to be at work by 8:30. And, I’ve often heard the saying that the early bird gets the worm. I’d like to see if it is true.
• Develop and maintain a reasonable workout schedule. Before Elyse was born, I made it to the gym from time to time. Nowadays, putting Elyse in her snowsuit is about all of the workout I get. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a challenge to hold onto a one-year-old for a couple of minutes, but it is a far cry from a legitimate workout routine.
• Post a new entry to my blog every two weeks. I’ve been a little sparse with my entries since I started this space. Writing’s a good outlet for me, and it seems that I have plenty to subjects to cover.

That’s it. I hope you weren’t expecting a two-page list. I know the new year is an open door for change and all, but I have to take it one year at a time.

Happy New Year!