My New Year's resolution is ...

'Tis the season of thinking about the aspects of our lives we'd like to improve. Regardless if you call it a "resolution," starting a new year with goals in mind is a practice it seems we've encouraged in our culture. I called up more than a couple dozen community leaders and local public officials, and most of them humored me by agreeing to publicly share their personal New Year's resolutions.

Take this as an opportunity to hold them to what they're resolving to do in 2015, or as an inspiration for things we can all try to do more (or less) of this year.

As for me, this year, I'd like to finally start the lifestyle blog I've been thinking about doing for a while, but don't hold me to it.

"To try to spend a little more time with my three grandboys." -- Terry Johnson, Alamance County Sheriff's Department

"Personally, I'm not going to work as much. I work too much. Go to the coast more, go to the mountains more. I want to see North Carolina, is what I really want I want to do. I moved here two years ago and really have not had a chance to visit North Carolina yet. We're going to work smarter so that I can do that." -- Kim Crawford, executive director of Allied Churches of Alamance County

Crawford said she'd also like to go to every antique store in the state this year.

"My resolution for 2014 was to walk/run and to run in a 5K. Knock on wood, every day so far I've committed to that and every day I've made that dream come true so far. In 2015, I resolve to continue and do the same thing I did in 2014, to run/walk each day and try to run at least two 5Ks this year. I want to continue the streak.

I started the year before. I completed January, February, March and the start of April, but got really sick around April 15. Once I missed one day, I didn't walk again the rest of the year. It's incredible. I have to have this goal in front of me." -- Ronnie Wall, mayor of Burlington

Wall said he walked or ran a minimum of one and a half miles each day, with five miles being the most some days. He has lost weight following that routine over the past year.

"To consciously treasure the gifts and opportunities of each day." -- Robin Wintringham, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County

"After the year I've had (campaigning), one of my New Year's resolutions is to spend more time with my family and go to the gym more. And floss more often." -- Pat Nadolski

"I'm a member of the Rotary Club in Burlington. In December, I didn't make a single meeting. That's a bad Rotarian. I want to be a better Rotarian by attending regular meetings." -- Jeffrey Smythe, Burlington police chief

"To worry less and to hope more. I think we all spend so much time in our work and in our lives just worrying about things that we don't really have control over. Those are just things you have to hope more on, with hope being about faith and trusting in God." -- Walter Britt, executive director of Alamance County YMCA

"To be a better husband, father and Poppy (to three grandchildren)." -- Cliff Parker, Elon police chief

"As we head into 2015, I want to focus on how healthy habits and behaviors impact many aspects of my life each day ... I plan to focus on healthy living by eating a balanced diet with regular exercise as well as to improve my work/life balance by specifically spending more time with my family each week." -- Preston Hammock, president of Alamance Regional Medical Center

"I just haven't made resolutions in recent years. It's either to exercise or to lose a few pounds or to participate in something in the community or to get the piece of my body fixed and I do all of those things. So rather than making resolutions, I just give some thoughts to the things that need doing. My wife and I usually say 'That's something we need to work on and we need to get that done for the coming year.' I can remember years ago typing up a list of 10 things to do and putting it in a little picture frame and standing them up on the chest or up on the mantle and I'd look at those things every once in a while and make certain I was doing what I said I was going to do. I was usually pretty successful in doing my resolutions so I just simply haven't made them." -- Glendel Stephenson, mayor of Mebane

"I walk a lot. I want to increase the miles I walk. I'm walking two miles, so I'd like to increase that to three." -- Lenny Williams, mayor of Gibsonville

Williams also added he wants to "make our citizens happy by bringing a grocery store to downtown Gibsonville."

"My resolution is always just be happy. I retired back in 2010, and I just try to be happy every day. I'm going to do a bit more writing. I've been writing the past three years. One of the things I want to record is some of the history of the town of Elon ... Another thing I might start doing is writing about the history of Elon football for the first 100 years. And to spend as much time with my grandkids (ages 7, 4, 3 and 21 months) as I can." -- Jerry Tolley, mayor of Elon and former Elon football coach

"To have more fun in the new year, and to continue to make the most of ordinary situations. I did that last year and want to continue to enhance that this year." -- Madison Taylor, executive editor of the Times-News

"To reach peak conditioning levels with regard to fitness." -- Terry Caldwell, Mebane police chief

"To try to be a better servant of District 64. I take very seriously the privilege I have." -- Dennis Riddell, North Carolina District 64 representative "The first part would be peace on Earth for the coming year. We have a good, sound city and want to keep it that way. I want to do everything in my power to keep everything safe and sound for our citizens. And I hope to be a better councilman in the future."-- Celo Faucette, Burlington councilman

"To do common things uncommonly well -- and lose 10 pounds!" -- Heidi Norwick, president of United Way of Alamance County

"I'm going to try to get some honey-dos done here at the house. I caught up pretty well here at the house, but still got the deck to put on the back of the house. That's a biggie that I'll do myself. I know my wife will be pleased when I get it done. I also want to plant a big garden this year that does well." -- Dan Ingle, county commissioner

"I want to give dedicated time to practicing my saxophone. I've played since junior high. I direct the Alamance County Jazz Band and really want to step it up a couple notches and become a whole lot better than I am." -- Bob Byrd, county commissioner

Byrd said he also wants to ride his bike more.

"To focus on physical health." -- Mac Williams, president of the Alamance County Chamber of Commerce

"I always like to spend more time with our family. I'll try to work out things where we spend more time with our family. Everybody is always on the go and running around." -- Jay Smith, Burlington fire chief

"To be more patient, for a number of reasons. ... Sometimes I get too many things going on at one time and I'm not sure I do justice to everybody in the meantime." -- Harold Owen, Burlington city manager

"To learn more about the history of Alamance County, in particular Mebane. My husband and me are not native to North Carolina, but our children were born and raised in the county. In order to have them appreciate and know where they come from, we have to learn."-- Stacie Saunders, health director of Alamance County Health Department

Saunders said she moved to Alamance County about 10 years ago and is from the mountains of Virginia.

"To take better care of myself and get healthy, and to just kind of simplify my life. To give me more time with the things I love and my friends and my family, to clean out and simplify things, unclutter and only do the things that are important, that mean a lot to me." -- MJ Wilkerson, director of Alamance County Public Libraries

"Personally, it's the same resolution I have every year, to exercise more -- or at least some -- and to watch my diet. To be less grumpy, which is apparently the reputation I have with some lawyers, from Wake County in particular. To get my work turned around faster and take better care of myself." -- Wayne Abernathy, Alamance County senior resident superior court judge

Abernathy was partially joking about the grumpy part, basing that resolution off a story he heard about what a Wake County attorney had said about his disposition on the bench.

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