Comparing New Year's Resolutions

As I made my list of New Year's resolutions the other day, I found myself thinking about Madi, the main character in my novel Mind over Madi, and what her list of resolutions would look like. You see, Madi and I have a lot in common. We share a love for chocolate, coffee, and computer games, and have an insane fear of spiders. We both come from dysfunctional families, and struggle with the same doubts about God's love for us. So it comes as no surprise that if Madi were to create a list of resolutions, it would probably look a lot like mine.

1. Trim the fat. Madi's vice? Edy's Dibs. Mine? Vanilla ice cream with Hershey's syrup. While Madi is only 10 pounds overweight, I am...well, let's just say dropping 30 pounds wouldn't kill me. It's time to lose the excess once and for all. 

2. Get rid of the waste. No, not the gross kind, just the kind that eats up my time with nothing to show for it. Madi finds herself playing hour after hour of computer Solitaire. I'm more partial to Bejeweled Blitz. Regardless of the game, it's time to take control of my time. Especially now that I have signed contracts for the next two books in the Madi series, wasting time is not an option.

3. Keep the lines open. The lines of communication, that is. Madi tends to sweep things under the rug and not confront her issues until she has no choice. I, on the other hand, typically want to deal with my stuff as soon as possible. But there are times when I want to crawl under the covers and not come out until my husband changes his behavior, the kids are out of the house, or my dysfunctional family functionalizes itself. But, that wouldn't work because I'd die of starvation before then. The best option is to face my issues, head on. Preceded with lots of prayer, of course.

4. Stop judging books by their cover. I try not to judge. I really do. But, come on, it's not easy. Just ask Madi. She made assumptions about her arch nemesis, Fawn Witchburn, based on gossip and Fawn's looks. She also got a harsh reality check because of it. This year, I will try to give people the benefit of the doubt and work on my own issues instead of judging theirs.

5. Keep my nose in THE Book. When life got hard, Madi turned away from God instead of toward Him. My reasons for slacking off on my personal devotions is usually busyness. But it's when life gets crazy that I need Him most. My goal is to first focus on God. Then, as Matthew 6:33 promises, everything else will fall into place.

What about you? Do you share any of Madi's and my resolutions? What goals have you set for the new year?