2021 Goals
Intro
Welcome! There’s a lot to talk about, so I’m just going to jump right into it.
2020 was a year when I decided to do things very differently than I had before. The most pertinent issue was my tendency to stick to tight schedules, so for this year I made a very conscious effort to not stick to a schedule. But to chase where my heart led me. Through the year, I formed a more natural internal system that allowed me to have the freedom to work on what I wanted, but not to get bogged down by it, and miss out on life.
The not having a schedule thing turned out really well for me, and it’s something I’ll continue to use in my life going into next year. I’ve learned that sometimes the structure of a schedule is necessary, but also that not everything needs to be finished at the moment of it being thought of. Finding a middle path so I can keep myself from burning out, yet progress in all the things that are relevant to me, is the goal. That said, if 2020 was about rebooting, 2021 will be about growth.
Art
My Art goals for 2021 are much simpler than they were in 2020. There are three things I’m trying to focus on in 2021.
Short film production
In 2020, I decided to take a break making any short films. I did this for health reasons and burnout. During the year, I began to miss the process of short film creation. Next year, I don’t plan to release any films either, but I do want to jump back into the process. I want my next film to be the very best that I am capable of making, so I will take the necessary amount of time to get to that point.
Curating better social media content
In 2019, I made a decision to scale back my process for animation so I can put out smaller, higher quality videos without killing myself or burning out. In 2020, I put that into practice, and I think there was definitely a quality improvement. However, There is a lot of room to grow, and I think a big part of that will be the curation of content that is more relevant for mobile audiences. I’m still exploring what this is exactly, but the content will get a bit more targeted. This isn’t a plead to “sell out”, but to maximize the utility of each platform to grow an audience that values my work. Bonus points to tik tok, where my videos have done surprisingly well, given how infrequently I upload.
Making more personal stuff
This is something I’ve been trying to do since I started making art, but it’s a process. The better I get at creating, the better I can make the kind of content that I want to make. On first blush, this might sound like a contradiction with the last point, but it’s more about making things that motivate me, and putting them out in a better format. One that people prefer for consuming art.
Money
While 2020 was volatile for obvious reasons, it did give me a great opportunity to grow my finances. Next year, I want to be even more aggressive with my investments. This includes savings and investment goals. In reality, I should have been doing this since I was 18, but I didn’t, and have to make up the time lost.
Lastly, I do plan on selling products again. I have some stuff that’s been under work for a while, but I plan to have a bigger push in this area next year. I am hoping to release at least 3 products next year and some merchandise.
Life
This section is about connection. 2020 was very difficult for me in this regard. Due to the lockdowns and how they effected people, I found it very difficult to see my family, date, and be social. In 2021, I want to be much more involved in these areas, especially family. I believe this year would be the least amount of time I’ve spent with them in my life, and I can feel it. It’s not something I want to repeat going further.
Dating was also difficult for me this year, as I had to adapt to online dating, which I have a great distaste for. However, I learned a lot about these dynamics, and can take it to a new level in the future. There was also a lot more inner work that I needed to do to get into a better mental space, but now that I’m there, it’s time to get to get work!
Lastly, is my social and personal development outside of romantic relationships and family. 2020 was pretty good in this regard. I adopted a few new hobbies and began to take my fitness seriously ( I used to when I was younger, but I was broke). 2021 will be about keeping that same momentum and to pursue mastery in my hobbies. So more music, more dancing, more fitness. If possible, I also want to jump back into singing, to help accentuate my musical capabilities. The last two things I would like to do are have more gatherings and get my license. For the former, I love having people over: game nights, hanging out, parties, are things that I take a lot of pride in doing. For the latter, sometimes I really want to get out of the city, and I can’t really do so unless I have my own means of transportation. Eventually I want to do a cross country road trip, but baby steps first
Outro
Overall, 2020 was a year where I learned a lot about myself and grew so much as a person. In a way, it functioned as sort of a mental reboot after the culmination of growth and lessons I’ve learned over the past 4 years. Essentially, everything came together this year in a way where I think it might pave the road for the rest of my life. In 2021, I want to take the steps necessary to grapple and re-take control of my life so that I can be the best that I know I can be. It won’t be easy, but I’m ready for the challenge.