I gotta come clean - the last time I did a new years resolution, it nearly killed me. I was at a place where I was like "let's do the last ditch effort - make a blog, do a few podcasts, and get toned all within a year" and the time management was just disastrous!
I have to sit down to talk and podcast and write - which means not that much time in a roughly five hour "after work" cycle to get stuff done, if you are wondering. why yes, I am writing this on the phone while doing some cardio, thanks for asking!
But between that, and then exorbitant amounts of working out - it dehydrated me to the point where i was cramping REALLY bad making it painful for me to even try and sleep. It was awful.
Recently, I had tried to go back to an old routine, but it causes the same cramping in my leg, this was on December 31st, 2017. And damn it, now I have to try all over again!
Why am I telling you this, the reader of some weirdo's blog? Because I feel that we stress ourselves out with a "goal" and it just ruins us.
What I learned was much "easier" was actually the opposite - remove stuff from your life. I stopped podcasting, I rarely even visit YouTube (I have no clue who most of these people are, but i can only guess most of them will do something REALLY stupid that's insensitive to somebody.)
The internet makes us less sensitive to others, it also makes us LESS likely to hear other voices other than our own, you hear shitty people say REALLY shitty things, and when confronted just go "it's just words on the typey box, no big deal!"
I go on YouTube seldom rarely anymore. I find more pleasure reading articles, finding out what's on people's minds, and then getting "professional" by means of Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix.
I heard there is a "YouTube Red" now, but to repeat from earlier - I have no idea who any of these people are, and they all look alike! They all look like background actors for CW's Riverdale, they can pass off as High School age, but are really in their Late 20's.
I made that change last year, and I am continuing it this year, I felt it was more of a success, because I spent more time taking care of myself, deleting a few apps on my phone, and just expanding my music library on Spotify.
We all make these weird resolutions like "Diet & Exercise" or "Quit Smoking", and I always wonder - why does it have to be now? Why couldn't you have done that during the summer? Most of the time, at least from my perspective, it comes from a period our diet is changed (halloween candy, thanksgiving dinner, christmas cookies, etc.) and at least here - a time when metabolism runs slower. I support anybody wanting to take care of themselves, but I think partially to blame is marketing (i also blame them for the surge of depression during the holiday season, but I digress)
I think instead of "New Years Resolutions" we should just call it what it is - a bucket list that has a 365 day time limit. That's how I treat it, and I think you should too.
My suggestions are really simple? Pick 5 things to do or get rid of this year and try and get to them.
"Get a Gym Membership" could be one, but you could also pick "Sign up for Dance classes". It doesn't have to be hard, "Delete Twitter from Phone" or "Delete Dating Apps" is also possible, they don't have to be right away, like i said, think "Bucket List".
If you have a goal or dream in mind - you can use your "five" to use in the assistance of it, for artists, maybe work on updating your portfolio? if you're a writer, find a book to assist you, or make make one of your five "collab with somebody on a project"
I have a goal in mind, but I know "get an agent" is tough as a resolution, but "attempt contact with agencies" is simple enough, and even if you get rejected, you at least accomplished it.
My five goals don't really have much place here on the internet, and I am kind of glad they aren't. Since I am a weirdo with dreams like "make game shows" and yet "be nightwing", it's kind of tough to write out things that would make my "five" - "write out a treatment for a game show" could be one, as would be "take classes on acrobatics" for the other.
But instead, I went a little lighter, and here are my "five" things to do this year.
1. Visit Disneyland/California Adventure
The last time I went to Disneyland was in 2008. I graduated High School. The last time I went to California Adventure was when it just opened. I have never seen CarsLand, I never been to the new Star Tours, I am oblivious to so many thing there. I want to see what is new, I want to know how Toy Story Midway is... what is Groot Bread, even?
2. Go to new restaurants in Los Angeles
I am rarely in Downtown LA, unless it's for a project, and I feel like I am really missing out on what makes this area so great - food trucks and weird restaurants that sell braises for $12. Last year, I went to Gus's Fried Chicken, and it was just an amazing experience, but I want to do it again. I want to try out Trejo's Tacos. I want to know how spicy is Howlin' Ray. I am also hungry right now.
3. Work through a backlog of video games
I own a Nintendo Switch, an Xbox One and Playstation 4. My PC is on the verge of dying which means a need of upgrade, but what's the point in upgrading a computer, if I have a huge surge of games I haven't completed yet. I have YET to finish Breath of the Wild, I haven't even touched Yakuza0 yet and Wolfenstein is still in my PS4 taunting me. Luckily, at least right now, I am seeing maybe 4 or 5 games to play from THIS YEAR (probably a ton more indie titles) so it seems like a good time to clear some of these games out. It's one thing to buy them, but you need to play them.
4. Audition more, and know it's not personal.
I have done improv in the past, when it's good, it's REALLY good, but most of the time, it's like watching people try and upstage one another to be "the funny one". I enjoy writing so much, breaking down skits on what makes them funny, and that timing. Of course, I am in Los Angeles, where just about everybody here is an actor in one form or another. I would love to see more on-stage sketches and go to more auditions. for a good period, I would say around 2012-2014, there was this feeling of just never being "good enough" and this feeling that I am just NOT talented. But as it turns out - maybe the right part isn't there for me yet? Rejection hurts, but it's harder on yourself, than the casting director... that I should jump in when I can.
5. Retool my website.
This one is the goal that's internet related. I go on long tweetstorms, I get frustrated with being ignored by everybody on Facebook, and I feel there isn't a "social media" website that really can help me vent in a place that let's me juggle between comical and sincere. When I bought this website, it was when I got out of college and used it as a "hey check me out" thing that would look good on a business card. But thinking about it - I am a writer, I should probably write here. If I am going to be on camera - maybe designate a section to be that portfolio? If I have all sorts of weird ideas for games, maybe put it in a safety vault on the website and only give close colleagues the password to that? Where am I going to be? probably put a list of dates, to let people know... make this website the first and last place to go.
It gives me that little bit of "internet" that I can hang onto, but thankfully allow me to leave and come back, in the event I am busy with a project. Even if this doesn't update for the rest of the year, reminding myself it's here, is all I need.
I know I rambled for too long. But I feel like there is only two things on my mind at any given time, and these five things to do this year, is feasible and doable.
Do NOT time crunch yourself, do NOT do "write every day" or "force myself to do something every day", it might help in the start, but creatively, you will wipe yourself out. Write whenever you want, Draw whenever you want... go for it!