Rather than try to write a list of very specific resolutions to start off each new year, I like to stick to yearly themes. I’ve been doing this for close to a decade, though I’ve only sporadically shared them publicly. Last year’s theme—Rest—was driven by a family crisis.

Spending most of my energy on taking care of my family meant that I didn’t have much left for side projects. So while I had some big plans, they were shelved for a time by necessity.

Back to building

In the chaos of last year, I didn’t have the excess energy to work much on any side projects. I sent monthly newsletters (almost every month) for UXcellence, and I published a few articles. I released the first version of the UX Compendium, but didn’t have much time or energy to promote it the way I would have liked. And that’s about it.

So this year, I want to spend some time building up those muscles again. I want to roll up my sleeves and get back to writing, back to creating, and start promoting the heck out of the stuff I’ve made. So yeah, check out UXcellence and the UX Compendium, subscribe to the list, and get ready for a fun year!

Here are a few things I’m excited to get back to:

• Publishing more regularly on UXcellence
• Building more tools and templates for the UX Compendium
• Promoting the crap out of both
• Creating or improving other related projects

Building back up to better habits

Moving to a new house really throws a wrench in routines and habits. So does getting out of practice (like opting to play a game or read a book instead of writing or creating to avoid burnout). So I need to retrain my habit muscles. I need to carve out time to focus on the things above and practice focusing on them again. I need to get back to eating better and moving more. And I need to stop letting the time suck of social media pull me in.

Here are a few habits I’m hoping to build up again:

• A regular morning focus time
• Healthier eating with more veggies, fruits, and protein and less gluten and sugar
• A regular exercise regimen with a mix of options: walking, biking, and maybe yoga
• Less sitting and more standing or moving about