If the first three hours of 2023 are any indication, I’m in for a doozy of a year this year.

Like many in our neighborhood, approximately 30 seconds after the clock struck midnight on Sunday, the lights flickered twice and went out for three hours. It’s my uneducated guess that, in the melee of fireworks going off at that hour, someone had bad aim and hit a transformer or a powerline or otherwise caused damage.

But starting 2023 in the quiet wasn’t all bad — at the very least, it gave me time to think about resolutions, something I haven’t made for the last three or so years.

I have some that are big lifestyle changes, like meal-prepping lunches three times a week and cutting carbs, and some that are small, like learning to make homemade cream cheese and reading at least one new book a month.

The biggest resolution I’ve made is to find a work-life balance that better prioritizes family in the new year. I’ve luckily got one of the most flexible jobs there is in terms of hours and location, but there’s a huge caveat to all that.

As much as I’d like it to, the news doesn’t stop at 5 p.m. when the last reporter clocks out. It doesn’t stop for holidays, birthdays or anything in between.

In a perfect world, I’d like the ability to call our local criminals and say “Hey y’all, let’s have a 6-hour pause on breaking the law this Saturday. I’d like to go to the nail salon and run some errands.”

They’d nicely concede that time and I’d get to do whatever it is on my agenda.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

News is constant — but I only have 16 more summers with my baby girl at home. There are only so many “firsts” we’ll get to have together.

Thankfully, I’ve got a great support system both in my work and family life and I haven’t had to miss anything of note.

In 2023, I’d like to take that commitment one step further: cutting back on screen time after hours and going “off-the-grid” at least one day every other week. I’m recommitting to delegating where I can and lightening my load as much as my control-freak mind will allow.

Being a “working mom” is, well, hard work. And I’m no expert.

But I’ve got to start somewhere — why not Day 4 out of 365?