2026 Goals

 

The unspeakable evil on which our country was founded continues to rage. Racism, genocide, xenophobia, ableism, transphobia, Islamophobia--none of this is new. White supremacy has always poisoned our laws and processes; I know this. And yet, things feel more hopeless than ever. 

To echo my January 2025 post: it feels selfish and pointless to set goals for myself in these trying times. What does it really matter how many books I read or if I write a poem or not? 

I don't know. I'll keep masking, getting vaccines, donating, boycotting, voting, protecting and concealing, shielding, recycling/repurposing/reusing, and supporting the community. But my spirit is broken, and I don't have much hope that the future will ever get better. 

I don't want this post to feel depressing (too late, lol). I feel anxious about leaving things there, so I guess let's set some "goals" that are really just attempts to inject some normalcy into this year. Maybe they'll work out, maybe they won't. They don't matter all that much anyway, but maybe it will help to work towards pointless goals alongside the more important work we have left to do. Maybe our chances of succeeding are higher that way.

WRITING GOALS

Update at least 2 writing projects - It's hard for me to write when other people are around me. Luckily, I'm in a season where I spend 4-5 days of the week alone (sometimes even longer when we get snowmageddens like this past week), so hopefully I can use that time to finally get back into it. One of my ongoing projects centers on a character dealing with depression and trauma, and the other one is a goofy comedy, so hopefully that balance of relatability and escapism can glean some motivation/inspiration. 

Write at least one poem - I'm honestly not a very good poet (my style definitely gives dramatic high schooler energy) but playing with form can be so fun, so I want to do more of that this year. 

READING GOALS 

Read 35 books, plays, and/or poetry collections - I have finished both a new book and a book started last year, and am ~100 pages into my current read, so maybe this will work out. 

Focus on reading more poetry collections and plays - Poetry and plays need to make a comeback in my life, lol--they're usually such quick reads, but for some reason that makes me nervous to pick them up? I barely read either last year, so doing "more" shouldn't be too difficult.

Maintain more of a balance between nonfiction and fiction - Nonfiction has piqued my interest more lately, maybe because a lot of contemporary fiction feels repetitive and redundant. 

 

ACTING GOALS

Audition at least 1 time this year - this one is really up in the air, as so much depends on whether a move happens or not in the summer. I'd love to get back in an audition room soon, but it might be one of those hobbies that takes a backseat this year. But the situation can change at any time, so I'll hold out some hope that I can fulfill or exceed one audition in 2026. 

Prepare new audition monologues - Reading more plays should help with this! Like most women who audition, I am SO bored of the same old monologues about the same old subjects. I can't imagine that directors want to hear the Tuna Fish monologue for the millionth time either. So, hopefully this year I can find some fresh ones, even if I don't end up using them until 2027. 

 

PERSONAL GOALS

I'm just going to list these here:

• Initiate more contact with friends, especially ones who live far away 
• Increase yearly income - looks bleak rn but having hope is free so why not
• Walk 5+ miles a day, 6-7 days a week - bringing it up from 4 to 5 miles last year felt great; let's keep that going shall we
• Keep a weekly cleaning schedule - dusting especially  
• Continue to post a blog post once or more a month  
• Purchase at least 75% of birthday + holiday gifts from small/local businesses - really fell off of this last year and felt terrible about it 
• Make at least 5 collages, finish at least 2 puzzles, and complete at least 1 craft - I've already collaged twice and enjoyed it. I did help my mom + sisters do a puzzle while they let me stay at their house during the Big Snow, but I don't know if that counts...
• Prayer journal at least once a month - this was a daily practice for me in 2016-2019 but it wasn't as feasible once I started working weird hours. I still journaled infrequently during 2020-2022, but since then I haven't gotten back to it at all. I want to take it up again because the process redirected my attentions during prayers to the external instead of the internal. The process of writing prayers down helped me focus on gratitude and asking God to serve the needs of others + use me to make positive changes in their lives, as opposed to the current pattern of begging God to help us all get through the day every few hours starting the second I wake up, lol. 
• Watch at least 20 Asian dramas - this was my and my sister/TV buddy's goal last year and we ended up exceeding it for an overall total of 26. We've completed two shows so far this year, so we are on track.  It's a little tough with her being out of town the majority of the week, but we're trying our best to keep the hobby going. Some of our most joyful or thoughtful conversations have stemmed from watching these, and a good method to trick yourself out of bad thoughts is the reminder that you haven't finished a show yet/to self-bribe with the first episode of a show you're looking forward to.  Some minor goals:
• Watch at least one Asian drama from the 1990s 
• Watch at least one Asian drama from the 2000s (before the 2010s)
• End the year with a country of origin majority that is not South Korea (or a tie between South Korea and another country, if more feasible)
• Cook at least 3 meals I've never cooked before - Even though I do not enjoy cooking, I think this will be one of the more easily achievable goals. Food is getting more expensive, which creates the opportunity to exercise creativity (though results are mixed).