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So, it’s about that time again. The time where we think back on our past twelve months. We take stock of the good times we had, the memories we made, and what we were thankful for. We consider what we did, what we didn’t do, what we did well, and what we can improve upon. The time of year when we start thinking of our new resolutions for next year.

So, how did my 2012 shape up according to my resolutions? As you may definitely may not remember, my key words for 2012 were play, save, give, strive, and achieve. Each one of my 12 resolutions fit in with one of those action words. With that in mind, let’s find out how I did!

Resolution 1: Secure a good, full-time artistic and education centered job with a livable salary and benefits at a professinal regional theatre (and not four part-time jobs, Dear God, please!) – BIG check! – I officially clocked out of the four part-time job hullabaloo in June (though three of the four jobs were theatre/dance/education jobs, so even then, I really can’t complain) and spent six glorious weeks of full-time employment as acting & musical theatre faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp on the shores of Lake Michigan. But in September I officially achieved my long-awaited and prayed for resolution of an amazing, full-time position that was both artistic and education centered at a professional regional theatre. I am so grateful!!!

Resolution 2: Get the last of my EMC points and go equity – Kinda – I did work hard and earn the last of my 50 equity membership candidacy (EMC) points at the end of June and was invited to apply for my actor’s equity union status (!!!!! which was a huge part of this resolution!), but I still need to scrape together the initiation fee and I’d like a  little more recent experience still before I take the leap of filling out that paperwork (hopefully in 2013).

Resolution 3: Design and launch my professional website and portfolio, and get new headshots taken – Strike – Even with the best of intentions, I couldn’t get around to everything this year. Besides, I think these things will serve me best once I accept my equity status. Another resolution on the horizon for 2013.

Resolution 4: Perform in at least one play and one musical – Kinda – I did attend several auditions this year, received an unexpected callback for a role which I could not take due to scheduling conflicts, and I did perform some Shakespeare several times during the summer and did a lot of musical theatre singing and dancing all while at Blue Lake. But I have higher hopes of attaining some stage time in an actual run of a show in 2013.

Resolution 5: Get back into dance – Kinda – I took a handful of ballet and rhythm & motion classes at Cincinnati Ballet this year before I shipped off to Blue Lake, and I taught two dance classes every day for six weeks plus choreographed several musical theatre dance numbers, but I was really hoping to take some tap, jazz, and ballet on the regular.

Resolution 6: Design a Blurb photo album book to commemorate our time in Cincinnati – Strike – I started working on it at the end of November, but have made so little progress that it hardly counts.

Resolution 7: Revamp the blog – Strike – Obviously, you’ve been looking at the same background since 2010. Sorry folks, hopefully next year. Lots has changed so it’s definitely time for an upgrade!

Resolution 8: Journal five things I am thankful for every day – Check! – I’ve done this every single day for 350 days so far and I’ve felt a marked difference in my life. I’ve noticed that I am more patient, compassionate, and grateful. I no longer desire “better” or “more” quite as often and I am, in general, less grumpy and more appreciative of all the wonderful things this life has to offer. This has become a nightly tradition I have grown to love.

Resolution 9: Volunteer or donate at least six times this year – Check! – These acts of good will mostly took place in the past four months, but regardless, I’ve gotten off my butt and have contributed to the good of society in the form of volunteering or donating at least eight times lately. Another resolution I hope to continue well into the new year.

Resolution 10: Stop being a recluse and get out with my friends a few times a month – Check! – I love my husband, and the newlywed tendency is to want to hang out with him all. the. time. when I wasn’t at any one of my four jobs, job hunting, or sleeping. But my social life was suffering and I missed my friends. I’m pleased to report that I did a much better job of making socializing and fun-seeking a priority. I hung out with pals in Cincy on the regular, went on campfire and beach adventures with new friends every single day and night for six weeks at Blue Lake (best summer ever!), and have been successful with making a nice group of new friends and hanging out at least once a month with each of my said new friends since September.

Resolution 11: Take some trips! To see my family, Ted’s family, and somewhere for just the two of us – Check! – We saw some of my family that we hadn’t had the opportunity to see in quite some time (some who had never even met Ted) back in February for my grandfather’s memorial service in Chicago, then again when some of us met up at the beach house on the shores of Lake Michigan while I was up there for the summer. And, thankfully, my niece and her husband got married in November in Texas and my entire family flew in for the occasion so a Bidus family reunion was easy-peasy. In September we saw Ted’s family for a long weekend at the Packers home opener game, and Ted & I got in our little mini getaway weekend in Door County for just the two of us back in September as well. Hopefully more trips to come in 2013!

Resolution 12: Get our affairs in order. This includes wills, powers of attorney, medical forms, retirement accounts, insurances, and a growing savings account for emergencies – Kinda – I got some initial research done on the wills, powers of attorney, and medical forms, but unfortunately we never got much further than that, though I had really hoped to have all that taken care of by now. We did finally get all our various insurances (medical, dental, life, auto, renters, etc.) figured out and the last of them set up this month. I set up and started contributing to my first official retirement account back in October, and we’ve actually done semi-okay with savings in the past month or so, despite all the financial inconsistency we faced up until September of this year. There’s still a ways to go, but it’s definitely a start.

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So, that’s 5 check’s, 4 kinda’s, and 3 strikes. All in all, not too bad I think, especially since some of my resolutions were pretty big deal things! And I made considerable progress, if not outright success, on at least 9 of the 12 resolutions. I’m already working on my 2013 resolutions.

Do you make resolutions? Do you consciously try to keep them throughout the year? Do you check in with yourself at the year’s end? How have you done this year?