New Year! What’s Next?

Every time the year comes to a close, a tiny seedling of a list begins to grow in my mind… that quickly becomes a wild plant that is taking over my kitchen, threatening to bust through windows in its reach for the sun. Can anyone relate? And there isn’t just one list right? There are a few that may pertain to different areas of my life. There is one with “skydiving” on it, that I quickly cross out before I’ve even finished writing it. There is the one with “more leafy green vegetables” on it, that I know will make my next trip to the supermarket less fun. Then of course there is the “VO to-do” list. This is not just new voice-over goals for the year, but also features the past years’ efforts with perhaps some modification. It can be overwhelming! But I try to think of any New Year goal list as something positive; a setting of intentions, that I approach with self-care, humor (because I know some will blossom while others shrivel), a strong sense of realistic hope, and a big ole’ splash of dreams.

The most important element, however, and the one most vulnerable to being skipped, is taking a moment to acknowledge and honor the past year’s efforts, whether that is taking on a new client or eating a crap ton of broccoli. When I feel gratitude for my efforts of the past year, I feel excited for the new year that is coming my way. I also remember that within the list of “to-do’s” are very many small steps that I can take one at a time and with patience. It doesn’t have to happen all at once. Things worthwhile very rarely do.

When I was first becoming a voice actor, my New Year’s list looked different than it does today. There was a lot of “learn, learn, learn” and “play, play, play.” Now my list has things like “focus more on direct marketing” or “branding” or “trends in vo to be aware of” “go to my chambers of commerce next meet up.” The thing is, it still has – after all these years later- “learn, learn, learn” and you guessed it, “play, play, play.” That hasn’t changed. So, with a New Year upon us, may we all continue to do those two very important things, no matter where we are in our voice-over journey.

We welcome you to join us for an introductory Voice Over class HERE