2024 Goals

Now that the first month of the year is complete, I have determined my hopes and goals for the year of 2024. I don't say "resolutions" because honestly my priority each year is to survive, and with the world being in a perpetual state of tumult, who knows how things will change? I try to adjust my expectations for myself based on my circumstances, and so I try to be flexible when it comes to yearly goals. 

WRITING GOALS

Still in a major writing slump, although I did finally get back into poetry writing this past year. I have a few ongoing writing projects that I've been neglecting, and my goal is to update at least 3 of them. That seems like a small goal, but considering I barely touched any of them last year, maybe it's better to start small than to commit to something more ambitious.  

READING GOALS 

Reading is a fun and fulfilling hobby for me, and hopefully indulging in some quality writing will influence me to write myself. This year, I'd like to match or exceed my 2023 numbers: 33 books, 2 poetry collections, and one play. Specifically, I would like to focus on reading more poetry collections and plays. This January, I've completed 3 books and started my fourth, so I feel positively about where I'm at...although last year I had already finished 6 books by January, so maybe I'm being overly optimistic? 

I would also like to maintain more of a balance between nonfiction and fiction--I tend to get into phases where I read one or the other, and I think that actually slows down my momentum more so than if I alternated between the two genres. Unfortunately I am one of those people who can only handle one book at a time, so reading them concurrently isn't an option. I'd also like to finish at least one of the two books I never finished--they're both good books, fairly short, and I own them both, so I don't know why I'm struggling so much.

ACTING GOALS (if COVID safety measures allow)

2023 was a surprisingly good acting year for me--in addition to doing a Shakespearean monologue for a video project, I had a total of 3 auditions, through which I participated in two readings for a festival in the summer. I also was cast as Mary Bennet in a local production of Miss Bennet's Christmas at Pemberley, which as a Jane Austen fan, was a dream come true. I learned a lot and met a lot of fantastic new people, and it would be an absolute joy to get to work with them again. To that end, I would like to audition at least 2-4 times this year and hopefully perform at least once. 

My next audition is scheduled for late February, so I am already working towards my audition goal. 

PERSONAL GOALS

I'm just going to list these here:

• Initiate more contact with friends, especially ones who live far away
• Be a better employee
• Walk 4+ miles a day, 6-7 days a week - I was doing okay at this for a while last year, but completely fell off the wagon in December. January has been even worse, so I've got to pull myself together for the rest of the year
• Continue to post a blog post once or more a month 
• Create more - make time to do things like crafts, puzzles, art, collages, etc. 
• Try new foods - there's a new Congolese restaurant in the mall that we want to try! 
• Research and implement new ways to live more sustainably 
• Try dating again (if COVID safety measures allow) 
• Watch at least 20 Asian dramas - this was our goal last year and we ended up exceeding it at the last minute for an overall total of 21! We're already on our third for the year, so we're starting off strong! 
• Cook more - I've been cooking 3 or more times a week since January started, so we can actually already check this one off the list. I don't enjoy cooking, but my sister/roommate likes it even less, so I'm willing to take the L for her, haha. 
• Keep a more frequent cleaning schedule - a continuous work in progress, lol.