New Year’s Resolutions usually surface three types of people:

1. Those who don’t make them

2. Those who make them and break them three weeks later

3. Those who actually make realistic ones that are easy to keep

I finally made it to the “third kind”.

So,  after giving it all some thought here’s my resolutions this year:

1. One Thing at a Time:

I multi-task to the point of my own detriment. Some things, like laundry are good to multi-task – I’m not going to waste 75 minutes of my day standing next to a washing machine and dryer of course. But, other things I have found you should never multi-task with, like cooking (unless you like eating burnt food). Blogging/web development/All the Stuff I Do is also one of those things where multi-tasking can kill you – if your internet browser/computer crashes while you’re mid-multi-tasking too much – look out!

Things I am Going to Do to Help Me With This:

1. Use TomBoy to organize my life more (incredible software for someone like me – I will write more about this later – it has been life changing!)

2. Automate/Outsource Stuff I Can’t Stand and Just Plain Doesn’t Matter: As I always say, life is too short to waste it doing anything you don’t absolutely love to do. So I am investing in my business everything that updates/automates stuff as much as I can possibly stand. It’s hard to let go/trust others/rely on something/someone else…but it’s also riskier if I don’t than if I do.

I would also love to hire a maid too, but I joke I need a nicer/bigger house for that first

3. Keep the Day’s To-Do List to 5 Things I Can Actually Accomplish: You know, I make a list of things I want to do – and there are like 100 things to do, including to write more things to do tomorrow. Psychology experts say women have a “never ending to-do list” genetically programed into their brain – I am probably a poster child for it. So, I think about immediate, specific things that take priority. I’ll make longer to-do lists in TomBoy – but the daily list is a short, manageable, accomplish-able one.

4. One Internet Window at a Time: Being a girl, I need 8 software programs, three internet browser windows, an extrenal hard drive and a zillion other things open on my computer all at time. It’s bad, even with an i3 core processor with intel. (Which is a HUGE step up from a dual core AMD processor, let me tell you!) In fact, right now I am already guilty – i’ve got skype, calculator, and 3 wordpress blogs open in firefox. This is gonna be tricky, but I’m determined.

2. Get Out More

Being a stay at home mom, with kids who are homeschooled, who works online in the social media/internet marketing industry – getting out is extremely important for our sanity and well being.  My goals for this are simple:

1. Visit with friends/family at least once a week

2. Go out w/my hubby sans kiddos at least 1-2 times a month

3. Enjoy Pittsburgh for What it Is: There’s a zillion cool things to do in Pittsburgh. I don’t know why I always complain there is nothing to do. There is plenty of awesome-ness, we’ve got tons of parks, museums, culture, music, festivals & events. Libraries & YMCAs & church events abound also. We are making it a point to leave our house once a week and go do/enjoy/explore the different stuff neighborhoods. So far have met lots of nice people and done a lot of fun stuff.

3. More Photos Please!

You can never have too many photos I’ve decided. Life is about experiencing things, and photos document/help you remember those experiences. It might be a few weeks before I fully get a plan for how to keep this one, but it’s a must-do for me, cause my kids are not getting smaller and none of us are getting younger!

1. Camera will be with me everywhere we go – so many times I forget to bring it for obvious occasions (um, like christmas eve? oops…hence the need to make bringing it a habit…)

2. Post/Share – Need to do more research on best method for this…I am awful at sharing/posting photos online. I still have like 1000 awesome photos from June-November no one has seen!

3. Photos are Worth Thousands of Words: I love to write. Non-stop. The problem? Typing that much, is painful. It hurts. Last year I def. lost a lot of time with having sore wrists from typing so much. Pictures say more. One click. This may be the “photo blog year”

If Nothing Else, 2012 Will Be An Experience

None of us really know what this year will hold for anyone. Good/Bad – either way it all makes us stronger, wiser, and better people because of it. It’s not always fun, it’s never easy – but it’s an experience. It Builds Character. And we’re blessed every day with the chance to have it. I think we can all control whether it will be a good one. And I’m pretty confident, that no matter what happens, it can be great, if we let it be

What are your thoughts? Did you set any resolutions for 2012? Or are you a pessimistic “no resolutions for me cause i am afraid to take control of my own life/destiny and I want to be miserable forever” kinda person? (Haha, just kidding…). What are your hopes for the new year? Share your thoughts below.