"Happy New Year, everyone!" Jimmy's dad put a plate of hot pancakes down on the center of the table. "It's the first day of the year. What's your resolution for the next twelve months?"
Jimmy's sister, Julia, spoke first. "I want to get an A in math. I'm going to practice my flashcards every day." Julia poured syrup on her pancakes and began to eat.
"What about you, Jimmy? What's your big goal for the year?"
Jimmy thought about it. He had never made a New Year's resolution before. "Does a resolution have to be about school?" he asked.
Dad smiled. "No, Jimmy. A resolution can be about anything you want. It's just a promise you make to yourself to try to do something in the future."
Jimmy sat and thought. He was already good at math. He wasn't sure he wanted to make a promise about doing extra homework. He would like to be better at baseball and hit a home run in the summer. It would be hard, though, to practice baseball in the winter when there was snow on the ground.
"I'll have to think about it," Jimmy said.
Jimmy went to his room. He did his best thinking on his bed, but he had to step over all of his trucks and a few dirty socks to get there. He also had to move his comic books and stuffed animals off of his bed before he could sit down.
Jimmy looked around his room. It was pretty messy. He would have to clean it up before he could have friends over on Sunday. It usually took all day Saturday to clean up. That meant Jimmy couldn't play until he was finished.
"That's it!" Jimmy cried. "I'll clean my room every Friday right after school. Dad will be happy, and I will be able to play all weekend."
Jimmy smiled. He was happy that he found a resolution that would make his New Year much better than the past year.
