At the end of every year, the masses talk about making resolutions for the New Year.

• Lose weight!
• Stop smoking!
• Go to the gym!
• Win the lottery!
• Achieve Inbox Zero! (O.K., so maybe that’s not on everyone’s list. Yes, that was one of mine in the past. Sigh.)

The issue with resolutions made like this is that the novelty often wears off quickly. The next thing you know, you’re wearing sweatpants on the couch, eating frozen cookie dough and watching reruns of Hogan’s Heroes while lambasting yourself for breaking all of those promises to yourself by January 3rd. Not that I’m talking from personal experience. (It was reruns of Law & Order.)

I’m not a big fan of resolutions. They’re often hollow, made under peer pressure duress, and don’t have lasting effects on your life. So, three years ago, I decided to create my own resolutions - ones that I knew I would keep:

Be fearless. Rock harder. Laugh lots. Love the world. Listen closely. Kiss more.

I’ve been mostly successful with these resolutions, because they didn’t require me to be something different… just more of who I already was. (The “be fearless” resolution is tough, but I’m definitely facing my fears this days.)

It’s time to add some more resolutions and so I’m having a resolution revolution. Here are my new ones:

• Breathe. You’d think that would be automatic, right? For the most part, it is. But there are days when diabetes just overwhelms me and I forget to stop and breathe deeply, thinking about the big picture. Do I rage bolus and risk the chance of crashing in the middle of the night? Breathe. Do I eat all the things in my pantry to bring up a bad low? Breathe.
• Eat. It’s not a secret that I have food issues. This coming year, I’m going to be searching out foods that make my stomach feel good (not queasy) and my blood sugars more stable. More vegetables, more complex carbohydrates, more options for snacking. I’m curious about Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammation pyramid and how those types foods can be better integrated into my life. (Most of my diabetes complications are inflammatory based, including my frozen shoulder, trigger fingers, and the like.)
• Drink. More water.  I totally need to cut back on the Diet Coke with Splenda and start chugging good old fashioned water. Better skin, better hydration, better Dexcom readings (dehydration can do a number on a CGM), and overall, better health. I suffer from a complete lack of ability to pull a glass out of the cupboard and fill it up with cold water, but could crack an ice cold can of soda in my sleep. Speaking of…
• Sleep. Parenting without diabetes causes sleep deprivation. Diabetes causes sleep deprivation. I’m finding that the combination has me dragging myself out of bed and dumping my face into a few cups of coffee before I utter a word. This year, I’m going to focus on what I can change: less overnight lows and highs so the Dexcom doesn’t blare. The nights that I’ve been able to sleep without a peep (or would that be a beep) from my G4 has done wonders for my stress level. Now, if The Kid could also learn that 2:30a is really not the time to have a discussion about balloon animals (like she did last night with me), we’d all be able to be rested.
• Open My Eyes. There is so much in the diabetes sphere to look at more closely: research, technology, advocacy, complications, and the diabetes online community. This year, I’m going to keep my eyes open and search out where I can best make a difference. And then… make that difference.

What are your resolutions for your life? I’m not making these resolutions for just 2014… and yours shouldn’t be fleeting, either. Join me in the resolution revolution….

Don’t you know it’s gonna be alright…