Dear January

An artist’s start to the New Year.

Alright get out your day planners, your colour coded highlighters, your goal setting journals and your magazines to cut out a fresh new vision board.

This is it, your year. The one you have been waiting for. All of your hard work will finally pay off and you will see the prosperous successes of your diligent dedication. Its time, your time.

Are you ready? Energized? Mind set right? Meditation schedule on track?

Wait .. what if you are not?

You mean, you are not incredibly ambitious like the rest of the world when a new calendar year rolls around?

You do not resolute on the exact day of 01/01??

Honestly so do some of the most successful artists. And that is more than okay.

A new year can spark the pressures of promising yourself that you will do better, be better and strive for better. Whether that is in the form of your personal fitness, career, or the one bad habit you just cannot give up. There are numerous marketing tactics, Tik- Tokers, influencers, and mass media coming at us from all directions, essentially forcing the narrative that if you don’t make a resolution plan, you will fail at this new year all together.

…not true.

Not everyone is ecstatic with abundant energy on day one, and those who are – usually cannot maintain their new habits and actions past Valentine’s Day.

The post holiday fatigue is real, and even more so this year with the global panorama that keeps on connecting with distant relatives, generating new variants and the return of not so new restrictions.

The world is recovering, then shutting down again, then sort of opening back up, and we are expected to still wake up every day with a positive mindset that this is going to be our best year ever.

As artists, our input is crucial for our career. We have to be working and training and creating consistently. Regardless of what else is going on around us, our passion needs to thrive 365.

But without our mental and emotional health, our passion suffers. I know society does not generally support ‘taking a break’- especially after the holidays. However, those who learn to rest, recover and reset – on their own schedule, not on January 1st, are more likely to not suffer from burnout, and more likely to execute their focused task at their own pace.

If you still feel guilty, just ask Oprah :

“I don't do them anymore... For years, I would do these kind of resolutions like, ‘God, let me know love.’ I remember writing that in 2004. And then what you get hit with is everything that isn’t love to see if love will show up. So I just said, ‘I ain’t asking God for nothing else.’ Don’t ask for courage ’cause you’ll get a whole lot of things that will cause you to have to havecourage! So I don’t make them anymore.”

- A prime example of a very successful individual who is not onboard with the start of the year resolutions.

Then there is Octavia Spencer’s approach :

“I think what people should do — for me, what I do, so that I can stick to it, is I think of one word that would sum up everything in my life, and every time I am faced with a decision, I apply that word. So, if it’s the year of ‘yes,’ if I would normally say ‘no,’ I weigh it, and I say ‘yes.'

And in case you need more convincing, Mindy Kaling reminds us that everyday is an opportunity to resolute:

"Every day is like a New Year’s resolution for me. I’m a little like my character where I’m like, 'Ah, I’ve got to pull it together' constantly. So, New Year’s is just the time when everyone else in the world is doing it too."

To circle back, it is absolutely okay if you don’t feel motivated right now. Go at your own pace, after all this is your race - no one else’s.

Even if you start by simply writing down a few goals you have for the year – do so. Be specific be simple, and then tuck away those notes to reflect on in 6 months or so.

Allow yourself to think big and boldly and to get excited about the possibilities, that could absolutely become your reality.

Who do you want to work with? What stories do you want to tell? Do you want to take a class you have never made time for? Do you want to finally finish your script? Do you want to throw away acting all together and potentially consider a new career change?

Whatever your heart is calling you to do – be open and honest with yourself.

And if writing things down sounds too much right now (trust me I get it), just allow those thoughts to enter your mind. The power of thinking about your goals is the first step to making them happen. Get excited, trust in the giddy feeling you get when you easily just visualize your success, in whatever form you desire.

This year is what you make of it, but so is every day. Take care of yourself first and the rest with follow.

Written by Therés Amee