Every year, I make New Year’s resolutions, even though they are rarely kept. I try to make them goals for reading and fitness that improve upon the previous year, rather than unrealistic pipe dreams, but even so, it seems like something always comes up.

Weather gets in the way of fitness, and work — well, work gets in the way of everything.

So as you’re thinking about your New Year’s resolution this year, take some advice from Allison Williams’ story on the front of today’s edition. Don’t set yourself up for failure. And if you do fall off the wagon, it’s OK to start over again — or even start for the first time — on Jan. 16, Feb. 28, June 3 or even Nov. 7. It doesn’t matter when you start or re-start trying to improve yourself, as long as you’re taking steps.

If one of your resolutions is to have more fun, there are few better examples in Suffolk than Abraham Mitchell.

“Mr. CIAA” is being inducted into the athletic conference’s Hall of Fame in February largely because he likes to have fun. He started attending Norfolk State basketball games 45 years ago when his nephew played. He kept on going all these years and has quite the assortment of dapper outfits to form the colors of any of the 12 teams in the conference.

During each game of the annual tournament, he spends half of the game working the crowd and taking pictures with fans in one team’s colors, and then changes into the other team’s colors for the second half and repeats the process.

“Ham,” as he’s also known, has become an institution for the CIAA, and it’s only fitting that he be recognized.

If your resolution includes going to church more, and the traditional service doesn’t fit for you, there’s a new church that just might be for you. Bonnie and Glenn Bradshaw have planted a church especially for teens in a shared building at 4165 Pruden Blvd.

They recognized the need for having a church that’s “different,” that can speak to teens without the boredom traditional services can hold for teens who aren’t used to church.

The Bradshaws said their teen church is especially for teens who are unchurched, but any teens — and anybody, really — is welcome.

Don’t expect pews, stained-glass windows or a fancy building. The warehouse-style building features an open floor plan with couches to sit on during service, a no-frills café for teens to grab a snack and a game room for them to play pool or air hockey.

If that sounds like your kind of church, call Bonnie Bradshaw at 354-5958 or just show up any Sunday morning at 10:30.