Let me start off by saying there’s nothing wrong with having a New Year’s Resolution. People are allowed to set goals for themselves and feel hopeful at the beginning of each year. So, this post isn’t meant to diminish that or chastise people as I’ve observed happening online *side eye*.

For me, I usually give myself some silly, un-serious goal like “learn how to eat with chopsticks” or “learn how to make dough.” I stay far away from setting myself up for failure by saying I’ll go to the gym 3 times a week or pledging to lose 50 pounds by June. It’s just not that serious to me. 

Yet, something about this year feels different. Naturally, it could be due to the 2024 election and its accompanying sense of overall dread and despair, but it’s more than that. There’s still a speck of hope flickering against the billowing miasma of emotionally unintelligent billionaires. I still feel like there’s a reason to want to achieve something, even if the world ends up crashing down all around us after all.

Resolution or Revolution?

2024 was a year of revelation, thanks in large part to Katt Williams’ sorcery at its inception. From Joe Budden’s meltdown that same month to his ensuring arrest at the end of the year, needless to say, it was action-packed. 

So, what does this new year have in store for us, then? More drama? More redpill podcaster arrests? Actual Biblical plagues? Bigger, Longer, and Uncut? We can’t be sure, but I think we now understand that anything is possible, even if it’s usually something horrific.

All doom and gloom aside, for 2025, instead of any sort of resolution, I’m just setting a few goals and hopefully ticking a few off my list. So, I’d like to share a few with you!

Reviving the Podcast

I took a long hiatus after the first season of Dimitrius for personal reasons, mostly due to grief and severe depression. I needed time to process quite a bit, and I knew it would be very easy to burn out if I didn’t cut back where I could. 

Enter mid-2024. I was finally beginning to feel like…well a version of myself I felt was ready to return to podcasting. So, I dusted off my mic, tested out a new camera, and decided, “Yup! It’s time!” Season 2 is coming in April, and I think I’ve finally reached a point where I’m more excited than anxious about it. 

Finishing This Novel

I won’t go into too many details, but this year I plan to (finally) submit a manuscript to an agent. Not only that, I will have my chapters critiqued by peers and apply their input before submitting. Should be ready to do this by the time they hold the DFW Writers’ Conference this year.

I want to tell epic fantasy stories set in worlds reminiscent of the JRPG/adventure games I played as a kid. And, not only that, I want to feature black characters in these worlds, especially given that we’re now entering a “post-DEI” world. 

Making Cornettis

This one is a little random, but I’m currently addicted to these pastries, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. There’s this cafe downstairs that serves cornettis (plural for cornetto). I’m absolutely obsessed with the chocolate-filled version in particular. 

So, like any other time I order the same thing over and over, I’m going to learn how to make these. Now, I’ve never been all that good when it comes to making dough from scratch. However, I’m always down to learn something new, even if I predict a huge mess in the near future. 

Books, Book, and More Books

I’ve been slacking in the reading department the last few years. I think I read maybe 2 books in 2024, which is completely unacceptable. I need mental stimulation, and vegging out on anime and Netflix documentaries can’t sustain me anymore. 

Now, let’s not get carried away. My anime hobby isn’t going anywhere any time soon. In fact, there’s plenty of isekai-flavored books to get into these days. However, I’m aiming for a focus on academic reads vs. genre-focused, entertainment books. 

I need to learn something, which takes me me to my next goal. 

Personal Library

After reading Malcolm X’s autobiography and observing the current trajectory of society at large, I determined knowledge/facts will soon be hoarded by the elite. It’s very obvious that this “post-truth” era is designed to further encourage a lack of critical thinking skills. Knowledge has always been power, and the elites clearly fear a smarter, better-informed general populace.

So, my goal is to find as many valuable academic textbooks as I can to add to my personal collection. This will likely be a decades-long project, but I want to start now while it’s still possible to do so.

City Involvement

Listen. Dallas has its fair share or problems, but I still love this city in all its urban-sprawl-mixed-with-corporate-paradise neurosis. People move here (only to be mostly disappointed) because they see the boundless opportunity of what this city can be. There’s a lot to discover here, and there’s a lot that needs to be fixed. 

So, my plan is to get involved! I’ve been listening to city council meetings whenever I get a chance. And let me tell you what I immediately noticed: I’m not the only one who’s passionate about this city. I mean, duh, right? Surely, I wouldn’t be only person in this gigantic city trying to make it better. 

Still, it’s encouraging to see there’s plenty of like-minded people who actually want to do something, not just complain online. 

Birthday Celebration

Fun fact: I’m terrified of planning a birthday celebration for myself. My anxiety/depression does everything in its power to convince me no one is going to show up. And, unfortunately, that’s been a battle I’ve been trying to avoid for nearly decades. 

However, now it’s time to conquer this fear like I have so many others! Plus, I don’t want to just celebrate myself but others as well. At 35-years-old, I don’t need a spotlight. After all, I usually take the week off for my birthday anyway. That’s celebration enough. 

So, What’s Next?

Valentine’s Day is next along with the horrors that usually brings. Since the dating pool is currently filled with sentient hazardous materials, I’ll likely spend that day watching rom coms ironically. It’s actually really fun when you don’t take them seriously. 

Outside of that, I’m going to trust the process. I may only achieve one of these goals his year, but it’s fine. I’m fine. And I’ll always find a way no matter what.