How I Manage To Reach Beyond My Goals Each Year
I haven’t always been a goal setter, nor was I the type to look back on my year and think of how well I did. For the first thirty years of my life, I was on a downward spiral, and eventually spun out of control and wrecked myself. After getting up from that hard fall, the last thirteen years began with slow progress. My achievements were small things like showering daily, brushing my teeth, taking out the trash… even just getting out of bed. My goals were to get to therapy every week, eat a salad with my pizza, get fresh air, take my meds, hang out with friends, do some art and writing for the sake of creative healing, etc. I kept it pretty easy for the first few years, but every year at the end of December, I’d set a few possible goals and tell myself that my main goal was just to keep on keeping on, doing the best I could. I’d challenge myself when I felt able, but also forgive myself for whatever I might not be able to do, and allow myself to make changes if and when I felt it was appropriate. I would set my little goals that may not have seemed like much to most people, but I was completely broken and I had to use radical acceptance in order to not despise myself for how far behind the rest of the world I was. I’d sunk to the bottom, and for years I thought there was no way out. It wasn’t until my psychosis, when I believed I was chosen to save the world, that I was given a reason to live. I still actually believe that, even if people wanna lock me up, drug me, and call me schizophrenic for it. It’s my reason to live and it’s a good reason… and since my chosen weapons fighting the apocalypse are my books, art, and rap songs, I think it’s a perfectly healthy so-called delusion.
This has been a crazy year, with a lot of high highs and low lows, as is the life of a Bipolar artist, but I made it through and accomplished a lot. See “Wicked Cliche 2021in Review” for what I accomplished in 2021. I am proud of myself for kicking ass.
Now for my GOALS for 2022…
- remember these are goals, not resolutions, and if I don’t do them all, that’s okay
- host a good Open Mic/Art Show Zoom Party for the new year and read some poetry
- paint as much as possible, starting with a 3 by 4 foot canvas I got for Christmas. I’ve never worked so big.
- make another painting video
- get back to doing myfitnesspal and lose enough weight to fit into my Skidz, or at least maintain my weight, and if I’m not even able to do that right now, I will love myself at any size. I just wanna lose some weight for my health (and the Skidz, because 90’s fashion!!!)
- hopefully win an artist grant and figure out what to spend the money on
- edit “The Godchild” a few more times and put out the new edition around Easter
- do a book reading/signing for “I Write the System” and “Be the Best You”
- have my partners visit
- start rapping again
- perform at open mics and with friends
- visit with friends, if possible
- go swimming
- go to Maine this summer and get in the ocean to ride some waves
- finish writing “Good Catholic Kids” and edit the shit out of it
- draw the “suit of albums” or “suit of paint brushes” for my tarot deck
- start writing and illustrating “Moo the Cat”
- take Moo to the vet
- write more songs
- practice keyboard and bass guitar
- dance and stretch regularly
- lift weights to get my strength back
- keep the apartment clean
- cook twice a week
- go for photography walks starting in February
- do in-person therapy more often
- do another solo art show
- buy art from friends
- do DBT Diary Card app more often
- do guided meditation at least once a week
- continue to write about my gratitude on Facebook
- finish reading “On Writing”, “Hip Hop Family Tree”, Don White’s new book, and read at least a few other books besides my own
- get back in touch with current events and political issues
- start attending Human Rights meetings again at the mental health center
- publish in more Medium publications
- sculpt a mask out of clay
- go to the graffiti spot and add something to the wall
- get back to doing Duolingo at least once a week
- get my stress test done
- edit my Habitica app to make goals for 2022 and start using that again
- keep moving forward with my life and recovery, doing as much as I can, but allowing myself to rest or to change and adjust my goals as the year goes on and unexpected events arise and affect things.
- forgive myself for my imperfections, but try to do better
That should be enough to start. I just wanna add one thing at the end, to say I am grateful for so many things this year, but one of the things I’m grateful for right now is this review I got on Reedsy today…
Thanks for checking out my list of goals. Good luck creating your own if you do. I hope my advice helps.
