Don't be alarmed, but there are only 25 more days left in 2011. Doesn't it seem like the year flew by? Did you keep all of your New Year's resolutions? Well, did you keep any of them? I kept mine (well, all but one, but I'm not talking about that. And besides--I still have 25 days, right?)
Nearly every person I know says that they never make New Year's resolutions because they don't want to set themselves up for failure. Actually, that's a valid point. But that's only because they are making the wrong kind of resolutions!
People generally resolve to give up chocolate or quit smoking or lose 20 pounds or exercise more or drink less. No wonder they are unsuccessful; they are resolving to do things that they really don't want to do. Where's the fun in that? I say, make fun resolutions.
In 2009, I resolved to learn to drink white wine. I love red wine, but had never, ever liked white. One day I decided that was crazy--surely there was some white wine, somewhere that I might enjoy. So I drank white wine every single time I went out that year, and found out that I didn't really hate white wine--I just hated oaky Chardonnay. I liked lots of others, though, and I learned a lot and had fun doing it. Now that's the kind of resolution a person might look forward to keeping, right?
For the last past five years, I have resolved to take a trip to somewhere I've never been before--and I did it because I promised myself that I would. Since I started making the travel resolution, I have been to Italy, Greece, China, New Zealand and Peru. Pretty cool. Of course it took some work to pull it off, but I didn't mind because it was fun work. Much more fun than, say, giving up chocolate.
Try a new approach for 2012. Think of your New Year's resolutions as permissions rather than prohibitions. That's right: resolve to do more things you like. How would you really, really want to spend some time? Whitewater rafting? Playing golf? Finishing a marathon? Taking painting lessons? Learning to bake bread? Finding the best Mexican restaurant in a 20-mile radius? Or how about one of my favorites: spending the whole damn day lying in a hammock reading a book?
This year, promise yourself that you will make time to do at least five things you will really enjoy. And when the negative voices start ("I can't," "it's too expensive," "I don't have time,") tell 'em to shut up! After all, you gotta keep your promises, right?
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I am good at some things, but I am a truly terrible meditator--not for lack of trying, either. Every couple of years, I decide that this is the year I am going to follow through and learn to sit quietly, think about nothing and allow serenity to overtake me. 
It's ironic then, that I am very good at sitting still. I have no problem spending a whole afternoon reading or puttering or drawing or playing word games on the computer (note the top score), or watching t.v., or reorganizing something or having imaginary conversations with people not present--all while letting important chores go undone. People might think me lazy, but I prefer the more charitable term, "not restless."
My kids have been strapped in and buckled in since their first ride home from the hospital; even their high chairs had seat belts. They've been vaccinated. They learned to swim with floaties and lifeguards. They expect that the Walk light means it's o.k. to cross the street, that the water coming out of the tap won't be scalding, that the roller coaster designed to seem so scary is really safe. 
