NaBloPoMo 2014: Day 2 "Goals Updatez"

For those of you who have noticed (love you Mom), I've only written ONE blog post since last November:  my 2013 "National Blog Posting Month" challenge. Despite this alarming lack of activity, you can rest assured that it was all for very good reasons.  During last year's NaBloPoMo, I outlined my daily, monthly, yearly, and Korea-time goals. Looking back through those goals, I'm impressed enough with myself to announce that I have dominated in checking these goals off of my personal to-do lists.

A "Success" Summary:

1. I still floss every day.

2. I've completed 2 out of 3 curriculum resource books, and the third (and final!) book is scheduled to be finished by January, 2015. A year ago, we presented the incomplete first book to the Gwangju Office of Education and asked for financial support to complete it and the remaining books. To my group's delight and amazement, the support was granted. I feel hella proud of the materials we've turned out, and the payment that we received - and will receive - for it. I look at the books now, and feel a swelling, awesome sentiment: "I made this." 

3. I'm currently the President of the Gwangju Performance Project, which is where the bulk of my not-writing-blog-posts blame lies. This past spring, I directed and produced 5 performances of Neil Simon's hilarious farce, "Rumors." It was blood, sweat, and tears getting it done, but I'm hella proud of myself and my cast and crew for the excellent productions we created. I remember the moment after the first performance, when I looked at the stage, the gorgeous set, and the actors bowing to the audience's applause, and I felt a swelling, awesome sentiment: "I made this."

Obviously, I wasn't the only one who made these books or shows, but my involvement and motivation  and efforts were crucial in the final results being produced. And that is a sweet, tangy feeling.

The GPP continues to flourish, too. I initiated a monthly workshop series where we teach about various performance arts topics, and anyone in the community is welcome to attend. A choir was started, and has regular practices and performances. A spring raffle fundraiser turned out to be a huge success, and our upcoming fundraiser is an exciting "Cabaret" Dessert Night with singing and dancing and chocolate. We participated in the Busan Shakespeare Theatre Festival, and I got to play Helena from "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I'm currently the producer for our upcoming fall play, David Auburn's "Proof." We recently merged our group with the local International Center, and will hopefully be receiving govt. funding for the arts next year, for our 2015 play lineup. People in the community are constantly creating, performing, and enjoying the arts, thanks to all of the hard-working and passionate members of the GPP.

4 members of the GPP choir (plus Adam in a bear suit - thanks again hon!) just before we won 1st place in a foreigner-only K-pop singing contest. WOOT.

3/4 GPP actresses who participated in the Busan Shakespeare festival. Tho we be but little, we are fierce.

GPP choristers before our first official singing gig!

We  raised over 800 bucks with these baskets, and paid for our set and costumes! WOOHOOO!

In short, I spend most of my free time talking, working, and thinking THEATER. It's delightfully amusing to realize that my college degree is getting as much of a workout as it is. Especially considering that I had no plans to return to theater again after graduation in 2007. 

I believe that's enough gratuitous back-patting for one blog post. Also, it's 1:15 and Monday morning's alarm clock is looming ominously close on the horizon. Tomorrow, we shall all find out what my goals are for this year's NaBloPoMo challenge. ...Myself included.

Turn and face the strain...

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes"

That about sums up my life in one, stuttering word. Which is quite apt, really, considering that the changes I've been trying to implement in my life are happening in fits and starts. 2013 marks the first year of my life where I've even felt the NEED to make New Year's resolutions, let alone actually follow through on them.

Turns out, the reason people usually give up on resolutions after a couple months is because changing yourself is hard. At least, it's been hard for me. I chose some specific goals like, "doing work at work," "staying on top of emails and extracurricular duties" and "eating healthier meals," etc. The motto of my goals can be condensed in one word: Productivity. If I assess my progress honestly, it's depressing. After 6 months, I'm not doing any of those goals regularly or successfully, nor do I feel significantly more productive than before. But I haven't given up yet, and I think it's because of a couple things:

1) there are teeny tiny changes I've successfully made that give me hope for the bigger ones
2) I've found ways to gametize and incentivise my habit-changing - meaning, I've found some actual bits of fun in the process. Huge props go to SuperBetter.com for first inspiring me, and even more to Lift.com for making the habits happen on a daily basis.
3) being a member of a group of similarly-minded folks on Facebook who've got their own goals and struggles. We encourage and share with each other as we push through our triumphs and defeats. It's nice to have companions in what can sometimes seem like a fruitless, teeth-gnashingly-slow undertaking.

So, referring back to #1 up there, I'm going to use this blog as a Change Tracker. I'm going to (try to) mention each change I make successfully, and then the plan is for me to feel really good about myself every time I look at my past posts.

Here's hoping I can motivate not only myself, but some of you reading this as well! Onwards and forwards, comrades!

A boy, a book, a beach

"Spirit of Jeju"