Another year is gone and with it the opportunity to do all the things I planned to do in 2015. Overall, I did not make as many resolutions last year which means that I didn’t fail to meet that many resolutions either.

I will start with the biggest shortcoming which was to write regularly in a journal. This was the second year in a row I have not followed through on this promise to myself. In fact, the journal no longer sits on my bedside table.

I have come to realize that perhaps this weekly column is my journal. Sometimes I am writing to my loyal readers, but many times I am writing to myself. The real goal was to leave something to my grandchildren that would help them remain close to me after I am gone. In that regard, I think my columns are a pretty good snapshot of who I am.

So moving forward, there is no resolution to write in a journal, but rather I simply resolve to be a more diligent and thoughtful writer, hopefully leaving behind some insight as to who I really was.

I didn’t make the annual resolution to lose weight last year and it showed. Pounds are like years; they creep up on you and there doesn’t seem to be any way to get rid of them. Nevertheless, to keep the subject on the forefront, I resolve to lose 12 pounds in 2016. One pound a month. Should be easy, right?

I resolved to be a good Mayor and leader for our community. I think I did okay on this point for 2015. Running a city is never a one man show.

I am thankful to have a good council that works together, good department heads that take their jobs seriously, and dedicated city employees that do jobs that most of us take for granted.

I do hope that I am able to help the city articulate a vision for itself over a longer term. We have laid a good foundation; now what do we want the structure to look like? To that end, I resolve to hold another retreat with the council, so we can keep that “vision thing” moving along.

Was I a good husband, son, father and grandfather? I hope so, but know I can do better.

I resolve to travel to Atlanta to visit my mother more often, to carve out more time to have lunch with my daughters, and to have those “date nights” with my wife that seem to be hard to work into the schedule.

I also resolve to attend every soccer match, basketball game and school program for my grandchildren that I possibly can. These moments will be gone far too soon.

Finally, I resolve to take the advice a good friend gave me years ago.

I plan to seriously dedicate more time to putting my feet on my desk and just letting my mind wander. I resolve to dream more and work less.

I hope that 2016 will bring you good health and prosperity and that all of your own dreams will come true.