Goals

About once a year or so, I have a very specific meltdown. The other meltdowns have very diluted focus, and I curl up in a corner and lament absolutely everything and nothing (and once, a failed attempt at baking vegan muffins), but this one is always about where I want to go in my career. Not "where am I," but "where do I want to be this time next year?" Usually, the answer is, "not curled up in a corner having a panic attack." That's followed by a list.

Lists are great. I use them for far more things than I probably should. A goal list is one of the most useful types of lists. Here is my goal list from December, for 2013:

1) Finish this animation gig (REACHED)
2) Finish Ogre and the Mermaid (Chris, Eric, and the interns, I'm looking at you!)
3) Interview/talk with two people in the animation business (and by that I mean people far higher up the ladder than I, not for a job, but simply to pick their brains)
4) Finish one personal film by the end of 2013
5) Find and complete at least one paid animation gig (FOUND, just needs to be completed. Geez, that was fast :) )
6) Learn basic arduino and LED thread usage
7) Learn better business management skills. The basics aren't cutting it anymore.
8) Advance to Intermediate-level Korean, Advanced French, Basic Spanish, and Basic Mandarin
9) Have some sort of correspondence (email, phone, Skype, whatever) with Fabio Moon and/or Gabriel Bá. I get all giddy inside every time I reread Daytripper, or see anything they post on their blog. I'd never say that to their faces, but if they read it here, I won't be offended. :)

I normally lose track of my goals two months into a year, but people tell me that once something's on the internet, it can never be taken back. So here are my goals for this year. If I reach two of them, I'll be content. Three, and I'll be happy. Four or more, and I'll wonder how I got the energy.

The Mandarin thing most likely won't happen, but I gotta shoot for something.