We’ve almost made it through the year. And boy was 2012 a doozy… Luckily, the only thing left to do is sit back, relax, and start prepping for 2013! First things first: Your New Year’s Resolutions. Last year we provided a quick list of our resolutions for inspiration, and this year is no different. Feel free to jump on our bandwagon, and adopt any of the following ambitions, goals and resolutions.

De-clutter Your Life: Less is more. This might be Parties That Cook’s motto for the year. 2013 will be all about cutting back on excess, cleaning out, and making our operations effortless!

Get Healthy: Whether it be in the physical sense (cutting back on wheat and dairy, or drinking more green smoothies) or improving your sanity, work on bettering yourself this year. Yoga, meditating, or just reflecting on the day/week might help, but the key is to NOT spread yourself too thin at work or in play.

Stay Focused: I know we encouraged adventure last year, but it seems a certain PTC Planner took our advice to the extreme. She now recommends actually saying “No” more often. Stay focused and energized for what’s really important in life. Of course you can still have your fun, but in the end it seems to come down to priorities.

Get Active: Don’t forget to make goals that don’t revolve around the office! We’ve got a couple of PTC ladies training for a half marathon, another crazy rock climber, and yet another embarking on an A-Z restaurant challenge this year. Aim high and expand horizons.

Have More Fun in the Kitchen: Don’t look at cooking as a chore! Start a cookbook club (follow ours if you need inspiration), take a few cooking classes, or just perfect your beurre blanc at home. If the cooking process doesn’t excite you, you’re crazy start a food fight at least the results will be delicious!

Continue Learning: This resolution may look familiar – and it should! We resolved to continue learning in 2012, and never want to stop. If it’s not a new skill you’re interested in, try learning about the people around you. Your environment is always changing, even if things may feel the same on the surface. (Note: Teaching can be an equally impressive feat. Try getting your new puppy to sit and stay!)

Paint the Town Green: Start a garden! Try growing your own herbs or tasty veggies like radishes & green beans. Not only will you fit in with the trending farm-to-table movement, but the results will leave you with a rewarding sense of accomplishment. To those in tiny apartments with no yard: I feel your pain, but it can be done!

Practice Fiscal Responsibility: Yet another recurring goal makes an appearance on this list. Just because you behaved yourself, limited your spending and saved some money in 2012, does not mean you can go crazy in 2013. (We all know you didn’t really cut your lunch budget for work days, anyway.) Challenge yourself this year, and actually bring your lunch to work 3 times a week! If I can do it*, so can you.

Give Back: Volunteer at a local shelter, mentor youth, heck, host a Cooking with Kindness event for your company! Get out there and make a difference – it only takes one person (YOU). I promise that the benefits of giving back (joy, fulfillment, warm fuzzies) far outweigh any cost (time, money).

Make Big Moves: At work and in your personal life, you want to come out of 2013 feeling like a champion. It’s not about planning to do something; just do it. Kick butt (can I say that?) in your sales territory, blow your goals out of the water, go on that dream vacation you’ve been craving! Any amount of progress on your goals will feel like a WIN.

*Not saying I did.