It wasn’t until I got my Anime News Network weekly streaming assignments that I realized summer—and 2017—are both half over. How has the first half of your year gone?
This is the time of year where I like to reflect on how my year is and isn’t panning out. My favorite, Alexandra Franzen, has some great questions to help with this.
Lately, I’ve been feeling sort of lost. So instead of a regular blog post, here’s an exercise: here’s how my year is going, followed by some questions for you to consider about yours.
What have I done for the first half of the year?
Learned to oil paint. Wrote 2,600 words of fiction. Tweeted 2,700 times. Launched Anime Origin Stories. Presented my panel, “He Is A Char,” for the first time at Katsucon 2017. Got my panel, “Gunpla is Freedom,” accepted to Otakon 2017. Volunteered at Anime Boston. Went to West Virginia and tapped trees to make maple syrup. Joined a local support group for women entrepreneurs. Solidified my self-employed income with two new regular clients, then quit writing income reports. Wrote a free e-course for making your first $1000 as an anime blogger. Went to a Korean spa. Celebrated my fourth anniversary with John at a Japanese-American bed and breakfast. Went to John’s hometown and talked to kids and teens about anime.
What do I want to do for the second half of the year?
Publish 150 Anime Origin Stories. Draft a novel that I can write during NaNoWriMo. Pass the N4 Japanese Language Exam. Run my third 10k race. Plan my 2018 trip to Japan.
What am I going to need to do (or not do) to make those things happen?
- Cut back on social media. I quit Instagram. I deactivated Facebook. Now, it’s time to heavily limit my Twitter time. Social media gives me the dopamine burst I would normally need to do actual work to obtain. It’s taken a long time for me to realize that my reliance on Twitter is codependent and unhealthy.
- Develop a more disciplined daily routine. Normally it goes like this: get up around 8, work until noon, eat, exercise or go on a walk, then work until John gets home. This isn’t strict enough. If I want to make fiction and studying Japanese priorities for the second half of the year, they need to go onto the schedule.
- Say no to what’s not working anymore. I started writing a book compiling and analyzing Anime Origin Stories but I feel so reluctant every time I open the doc. So I’m putting that on hold for now. I’m not excited about anime this summer the way I’ve been in the past, so I’m letting myself cut back to three shows. If it’s a commitment that doesn’t fit one of my goals for 2017, it’s time to rethink that commitment.
Now it’s your turn. Here are my questions for you to consider:
- What are you most proud about accomplishing in the first half of the year?
- What do you regret not accomplishing yet? Is it too late to start now? (Hint: it isn’t.)
- What were your goals? Are they still your goals?
- What do you need to do (or not do) to reach these goals in 2017?
- What’s no longer working for you that it’s time to cast aside?
This has been quite the navel-gazing blog post, but I hope you found parts of it helpful. This year isn’t over yet. May we all accomplish great things as it continues!