Goals for 2024
Have a Solid Outline for a book draft
My need to write has been scratching, gnawing at the back of my mind for years. Growing up on movies has made me intensely interested in creating my own stories, whether that be on paper or on film. This year, I took my dreams of creating my own works one step further by declaring two minors, one in film production and another in creative writing. I will talk about producing a short film later in the article, but as for now, writing.
While I am no professional author nor even a seasoned one, writing small stories for prompts in my class has been nothing but enjoyable. Writing has allowed me to explore topics and subjects I never would have normally. The sheer aspect of continual focus is something I have not experienced since high school, and it is a welcoming one.
My current plan is to dedicate these next few months to reading more books -both fiction and non- to get a better grasp on how to write in different genres, styles, and periods. Nothing is set in stone for my current draft, but I know that I want to explore dramatic realism and entirely avoid fantasy world-building stories. I tend to gravitate towards grounded, character-driven stories with an emphasis on relationships.
When the summer rolls around, I will be spending most nights writing, whether that be 100 words or 1,000, the main point being consistency. Hopefully, by December, I will have a fully finished rough draft of a novel, which will propel me into the main editing phase come the new year.
2. Create a Fully Functioning Portfolio Website for Myself
If you are reading this on my Squarespace-designed website, you are one of the lucky ones. By next year, all my articles and assets will be ported to a new website- one made exclusively by me, for me. I have been diligently working on completing the Responsive Web Design Certification on FreeCodeCamp, and I plan on finishing most of those certifications before I die. This is not for some future business plan, but mainly for my enjoyment.
Using a personally made website is better for designing every and all aspects of your site. Plus, I will be using the portfolio site for the next N years to attract potential job opportunities and use it as an outlet for all personal projects in the future.
3. Achieve 500 Subscribers on YouTube
I have said this time and time again to myself, but I will conquer a schedule for my YouTube channel. Originally made as a way to make funny, semi-serious Podcast videos with my friends, the channel is slowly evolving into a passion project where I can share with the world what I have learned at college, and beyond.
With the podcast idea never being a good niche to start into, it did gain the channel 100 subscribers in 4 months. With my friends being done with the podcast midway through 2023, I knew I had to change directions if I wanted to succeed on the platform. Now I am moving away from podcasting, for the time being, and moving into more college-based themes. With that said, I want to keep a consistent schedule with YouTube and TikTok in the future.
4. Create a Website For Business Students
This project is a long shot, considering I have little programming skills, but I think if executed correctly, it can be a great tool for college business students. Partnering with a computer science major is probably the best option for me. Although I do not want to release that much information about the future project, it will be a tool used for business students to help with interview skills, resume building, and overall a professional-development tool.
5. Develop a Martial Arts Club at IU
One of the more achievable goals on this list, a Martial Arts Club at IU would be very beneficial. While there are other fighting clubs at IU: Taekwondo, Jiu Jitsu, and Judo, there is not a fighting club that promotes community. My club will focus on Taekwondo and Jiu-Jitsu, merging both stand-up and ground in one cohesive program, while also having community events where the participants can come volunteer at various events. Not only does this encourage a better connection between me and the other members of the club, but they can practice the discipline skills they learn from the club and translate it into community service.
The best part about the club is that I will not be doing it alone. My friend from the RA program will be helping me and having the ability to communicate with another person is crucial in a leadership position (and he’s pretty awesome too).
6. Co-write and Direct John Seno’s Short Film
Another creative project that is set to come out this year is a short film created by John Seno and myself. If you do not know John Seno yet, he’s been on my podcast quite a few times, but he’s been a lifelong friend with a side hustle in rap. To draw more attention to this, John has outlined a short film, and over the past months, we have been workshopping ideas and scripts. I want to document the process through YouTube, to walk through the movie-making process from start to finish for beginners.
7. Start Writing Poetry
While this topic seems straightforward, poetry has been a hard topic for me. Poetry is very different from long-form content. Poetry writing has been very therapeutic and the ability to write about something so intense is beautiful.
8. Improve my Mental Health
This varies from person to person, but the majority of students have been mentally affected dramatically since the pandemic. Improving mental health should be on most people’s lists in 2024.
A few ways that I am setting new boundaries for myself is by expressing my emotions through these creative outlets. Being social was a hard concept to grasp when I first got to campus, especially with 50,000 students being here. Since I have taken this RA job, I have found new friends. People I never thought I would meet are now my best friends, and I could not ask for better people. Besides having a support system, setting a routine for each day is imperative - which includes restful sleep and intense workouts - while still maintaining a sense of spontaneity.
9. Start Development on a Roblox Game
What might seem like a deviation from my previous goals, this Roblox game serves as another creative outlet that ultimately ties back into business and YouTube content. I am taking a course now that will allow me to learn the fundamentals of Blender and Lua. By February, I should have videos coming out weekly that detail the process of game-making for beginners through the use of Roblox Studios. Eventually, the game will serve not only as a tycoon simulator game focused on managing businesses, but will also teach young children the basics of finance in a fun way.
10. Be Present
Even though I have discussed goals that will take years of dedication, I know that being present is by far the most important one on this list. I took the time I had in high school for granted, and although I have a lot now, I do miss the friends and experiences I had there (do not get me wrong, high school sucked). Before I go off to help the world and become a part of something much bigger than myself, it is nice to know that each day is as important as the last.
And hey, I might react to this at the end of the year and see how realistic these goals were!
