Resolutionary

Well this has been a crazy couple weeks. I’d had a draft of this post written for a few days with the knowledge that I didn’t make it in to the animation program that I had applied to, having found out right in the middle of finals last month. However, thanks to a random person literally dropping out of the program a few days ago, I’ve been accepted!! I went to my new classes (having to join them a bit late, but knowing that going into it) and met with my advisor to get approval to be in them, and I’ll still keep one of the classes I’d previously signed up for so I can still be a full-time student. I’ve also still got a part-time job at the library on campus so my schedule is pretty full, but man… This is what I’d been working toward for literal years of my life.

With that being said, I’m still going to need to be in school for a few more years. But I’m already feeling so much better and confident than I did just a year ago; I’ve had good grades, I’ve got a job that I actually enjoy, and I’m finally in a program in school for something I want to do with my life. So with all that in mind and the new year having officially begun, I’m saying now that 2025 is going to be my year for positive changes. And here’s what I’m going to shoot for, with some specifics for each goal:

1. Begin working on my first game. I’ve been debating whether or not to start with a mobile game or console game first, and it seems like a mobile game might be easier. The first couple semesters were really helpful for teaching me what basics I’d need to start with and my new classes will only help me keep going. It’d be great to get something published before the year end, though with it being my first attempt I’d at least like to make sure it’s fairly stable and polished before trying to throw it out to the world.
2. Keep up my grades in school. I made it onto the Dean’s list – something I’d never done before – and even when I didn’t think I was going to be in the program I had initially accepted the fact that I needed a few good years of school so I could graduate with confidence. My classes will mostly be set for me each year as UVU does what it calls a cohort, where you stick with the same group of students in your program until the time you graduate The goal of it is to have great skills and people to work with once we graduate.
3. Work out more frequently. I’ve got access to the gym at school, but even without it I have plenty of ways to get fit. Thankfully it’s already gotten better than what it used to be; I’ve been keeping an eye on my daily step count throughout 2024 and it’s roughly doubled from what it’s been in previous years (from ~2,500 to ~5,000). My job not keeping me in a chair all day long (and the fact that I’m walking to my classes throughout the day) has definitely helped with that, so my next personal fitness goal will be to dedicate a few times a week to exercise.
4. Be more social. I do tend to be a homebody quite frequently, and while that’s not always a bad thing I know that I’ve got friends I wish I spent more time with. Getting out of the house for things like D&D and playing Magic with some guys in my neighborhood has been great, and again I just know that there’s more I can push myself to do. The cohort program I mentioned will hopefully help me to make more friends as well, since I should be with these students for the next couple years.
5. Make more videos for YouTube, or just make more videos in general. It’s a hobby of mine that doesn’t get a ton of attention but it brings me joy, and even if it’s something as simple as a time-lapse build of a Lego set I really do love the whole process and seeing a finished work. The goal with this is at least one video per month.
6. Post more here. I really like this idea of the “Marshall’s Matters” brand and want to do more with it. I’ve been trying to make sure I get a distinct handle across various social media sites, and hopefully will be able to make it a consistent thing for wherever you want to keep up to date on my activities. Some kind of social media post at least once a week, and I count this blog as social media.
7. Read more books! Or at least listen to some. I’ve got so many that I’ve been meaning to get through and these days it’s easier than ever to consume well-written works. I think part of my aversion to at least listening to something during my daily commute is that I tried to when doing a cross-country drive once. It was with the original book for I Am Legend, and maybe it was the dull narrator or maybe I was just sleep deprived but I nearly fell asleep at the wheel… That was well over a decade ago though so it’s high time I try it again.

I do have some other goals that I plan on accomplishing throughout the year but they’re a bit more personal. These seven, though, are the ones that I feel like would be beneficial for anyone else to see me work on and help me be accountable for.