Friday, 03 July 2009

• Get it done, kid.

  School-year Resolutions:
  

  1. Obtain a semi-regular sleep schedule.
     
     While I don't want to sacrifice fun late nights with friends, I do want to begin waking at a regular hour and receiving at least 8 hours of sleep a night, though 10-11 is ideal (Of course, that's a bit excessive). I want to begin waking up fairly regularly at 8 a.m. and actually living during daylight hours. To some people this may be normal, but waking up at 8 a.m. is ungodly to me, and far more difficult than if should be.
     
     
  2. Begin eating well, and regularly.
     
     I tend to eat fairly sporadically, and this usually means I only eat about one meal a day, if I do at all...or I eat a painful amount of snacks, all day straight. This is a basic element of normal life, and I should follow it: I want a regular eating schedule. This'll happen naturally as I begin school and have a more normal schedule, but I want to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day (especially breakfast, that's important) with snacks in between, when taken, consisting of only fruit or celery or some such. I definitely want to eat many more fruits and vegetables.
     
     
     
  3. Create a budget.
     
     I've never been good with money. While I'm not a crazy shopoholic, I do tend to spend much more money on clothes and food than I should. Now that I have a more regular job than my graphic design posts, I can create a budget based on it and set aside my design money for savings and fun (half and half, I think, but we'll figure the logistics when I trouble-shoot them). I want to start cooking for myself more, as that's not only healthier, but also cheaper—plus, I live in the hub for it! Near my apartment there is a farmer's market every wednesday, a Wheatsville Co-op, and a Natural Grocer's. I really have no excuse.
     
     Furthermore, creating a budget is a good way to prioritize your life. I want to eventually support myself, beginning with getting to a point where I can pay my parents rent like a normal tenant. I need to start a savings account, and I haven't tithed in a long time. I have goals I want to reach, and a lot of more expensive things (of varying importances) that I want in the future: A dining-room table, a motorcycle or car (hopefully a motorcycle, grin), a new laptop will be needed soon, a huge desktop computer and a huge Cintiq screen tablet, lasik eye surgery, laser hair removal, orthodontics/teeth whitening (so I'm really vain...and lazy...but I do need to re-straighten my teeth, because of my darn wisdoms coming in), further on I want an art degree, a graduate degree, a wedding...and so on. I'm 20 years old and it's time to start saving.
     
     
     
  4. Become a legitimate freelance graphic designer.
     I've decided on Q design, and I've made myself a business card and a logo that I really love; now I have to make myself a web site and start handing out cards and...actually doing work! I want to eventually register as a small business, or a freelancer or whatever and truly become legitimate.
     
     On that note, here's the card; let me know what you think!
     (After the jump)
     
     
     Front:
     
     
     Back:
     
     
     (By the way, that colorful Q on the back is my logo, I've decided.)
     
     
  5. Live by a schedule/Use my planner
     
     One of the greatest discoveries I've made this year is my iCal calendar. Not only has it kept me on track with all my work appointments and time-logging, but as I've kept it updated with upcoming events and hangouts with my friends it's given me a much more active social calendar, just by reminding me of what's happening every day. Plus, I can sync it with my iPod, so whenever I'm out and bored, I can look up what's going on around campus. Furthermore, it has a to-do list, and I'm beginning to learn that if I schedule times to study and do design work as appointments, I'm much more inclined to get them done, and thus get a lot more done—with a lot less stress. I have a lot on my plate next year: 15 hours of classs, 10+ hours of work a week, officership in the CEC and membership in the Blanton Museum art guild, and more. I need to be able to keep track of it all without going crazy, and a planner is key. I know I have the time to do things, and if I do them when I have time instead of harried and last-minute, I think my sanity will be kept much safer. Plus, it's been really nice as I've been trying to get into the habit of logging everything I do, I'm starting to be able to check back and remember all the stuff I've done lately.
     
     
     
  6. Get all A's.
     
     My entire job with the UTLC is learning time management, study skills, and etc. to succeed in college. It's about time I take stock of what I'm teaching and learn some, too. Did you know if you simply review your notes within 24 hours of taking them, you'll retain 80% of the material come test time? This is in contrast with otherwise, where you usually retain 40-60%. Just one little review! It's ridiculous. If I only follow a few small things like that: Look over chapter headings and important points before lecture, turn off my internet during lecture, review my notes after lecture, attend study sessions, etc.—I can do exponentially better in the class. Plus, my gosh, imagine what would happen to my stress levels if I actually scheduled time to work on papers and study for tests during weeks that I don't have a lot happening, instead of during crazy weeks and at 2 a.m. the night before! Not to mention the fact that I really need to bring up my pathetic GPA, especially if I want to transfer into Art or the Creative track in Advertising.
     
     
     
  7. Create more.
     I have so many ideas I just throw away, simply because I never get around to doing them. This is especially sad because I'm one of those people who were made to create—who simply aren't happy if they're not creating. I've started painting, something I've never really done much before, and I'm getting really excited about it. Plus, the art store near campus sells canvases for 50% off, which is awesome—just the opportunity I needed. I have an idea for a cute little stop motion video, I want to get a handle on my sewing machine and start making my own skirts and dresses (which will definitely be helpful in ending my sever dress-buying habit, ha), I have some cool ideas for sculpting with white clay, I want to doodle more and submit more designs to Threadless and, basically, do more art for myself, not just for work.
     

  And that's all for now! Admittedly this post is more for me than for you, but what do you think? Do you have any other resolutions that would be good?
  

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