March 2020 Artist-in-Residence Goals

Two weeks ago I felt light as a feather with the crisp feeling of spring in the air. I thought that March would be all about St. Patrick’s Day and preparing for my big London trip.

Now we’re all in uncharted territory. As Bob Dylan said, “The Times, They Are a-Changin’!”

There’s only one week left in March, and I’ve yet to post my monthly goals. It’s just as well because the world is changing rapidly on a daily basis, and my goals are shifting along with it.

While I’ll admit that I’m pretty anxious, I’m also grateful for this time to rest and reset in all areas of life. After all, “rest” is one of my words for 2020.

Here’s a recap of my February goals (which seem so trite now!)

February Goals

Monthly

• enjoy NYC bday/Galentine’s Day festivities (Done!)

• write my Valentines (Done!)

• celebrate my and Nana’s birthdays together (We’re only one day apart!) (Done!)

• shoot, select and order new headshots (Didn’t get the headshots done yet, but I finally completed a lifestyle shoot in early March after two weather postponements)

• host a free Webinar (I’ve never done this before. Wish me luck!) (Done - it went really well!)

• plan something special for Leap Day! (Done - met James Taylor!)

• honor Black History Month through learning, conversation and media/cultural choices (Done!)

• learn and coach new rep (Nope - tried out new rep that didn’t work…still looking!)

Weekly

• meal plan, order groceries and meal prep (Done!)

• clean my apartment and do my laundry (Done!)

• update my audition calendar (Done!)

• blog at least once a week (Nope!)

• audition at least once a week (Done!)

Daily

• reach out (track this!) (Not daily, but I made progress)

• get 7-8 hours of sleep (I tend to stay in bed longer, but I realized that I don’t actually need more than 8 hours every night.) (Most nights!)

• drink at least 96 oz. of water (Done!)

• write for 45 minutes (Nope!)

• track my mood (Nope - forgot to on my birthday and then got off track)

With one week left in March, I’m turning my attention to creating routines and structure. “Rhythm” is another of my words for 2020, and now is the perfect time to develop better habits and new rhythms that I want in my life not only for this quarantime, but also once life is back to new normal.

Instead of scary words like “shelter-in-place” or “lockdown,” I heard somebody call themselves an “artist-in-residence” and time at home referred to as an “artist retreat.” Those words are such powerful re-frames!

So I’m using this last week of March to adopt healthy rituals for my time as an artist-in-residence.

March Goals

Monthly/Weekly

• Artist’s Way tasks

• make returns/cancellations

• pay April bills

• brainstorm new ideas for income

• set-up self-tape studio

• develop an Artist Retreat plan for the next 8 weeks

Daily

• make my bed

• take a walk outside

• exercise

• practice gratitude

• spend time with my family (6 feet apart!)

• write morning pages

• be out of bed, dressed in real clothes and ready for a working day by 9am

• drink at least 96 oz. of water

• limit news consumption to 3x/day

• track my mood

• check-in with a friend

• complete work tasks

• take one action to move ahead versus behind

What goals do you have to stay calm, healthy and moving forward in the coming weeks? Share how you’re handling life’s adjustments in the comments below:

February 2020 Goals

We did it. We experienced the first full month of the new roaring 20s!

Last month I mentioned that I use Lara Casey’s PowerSheets method for tracking monthly, weekly and daily goals. I’m going to post them here each month for personal accountability, starting with a recap of the previous month’s goals.

January Goals

Monthly

• complete all of my school grading (Done!)

• prepare for spring semester (Done!)

• update my marketing materials (resume updated, photo shoot scheduled for February)

• book my London flight (Done!)

• release a new offering (Done! If you want to try a 15-minute Mini Voice Lesson, click here!)

Weekly

• Meal plan, order groceries and meal prep (Eh…I try, but always find this challenging.)

• Clean my apartment and do my laundry (Done!)

• update my audition calendar (Got behind, but am all caught up now.)

Daily

• practice (I’ve been sick, so I prepared for gigs, but also have been taking it easy.)

• get at least 8 hours of sleep (Done! I’m very protective of my sleep.)

• drink at least 96 oz. of water (Done! I missed a few days, but was pretty diligent.)

• write for 45 minutes (Eh…I’m making progress, but still haven’t nailed the habit.)

• track my mood (Done! My goals is to track my mood every day for a year. I’m curious what patterns will emerge.)

Now onto February.

February is always one of my favorite months because it’s small and mighty. With Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, my birthday and my grandmother’s birthday, it’s a very celebratory time of year. A lot of dear friends and family have amethyst birth stones, too, and this year is extra special because it’s a leap year!

February Goals

Monthly

• enjoy NYC bday/Galentine’s Day festivities

• write my Valentines

• celebrate my and Nana’s birthdays together (We’re only one day apart!)

• shoot, select and order new headshots

• host a free Webinar (I’ve never done this before. Wish me luck!)

• plan something special for Leap Day!

• honor Black History Month through learning, conversation and media/cultural choices

• learn and coach new rep

Weekly

• meal plan, order groceries and meal prep

• clean my apartment and do my laundry

• update my audition calendar

• blog at least once a week

• audition at least once a week

Daily

• reach out (track this!)

• get 7-8 hours of sleep (I tend to stay in bed longer, but I realized that I don’t actually need more than 8 hours every night.)

• drink at least 96 oz. of water

• write for 45 minutes

• track my mood

Time to sing through the rest of 2020 with a heart full of love! (Les Misérables, anyone?)

How did your decade start out? Have you made progress on your dreams? Share how your year is going in the comments below:

My Words of the Year

Do you choose a word of the year? I love picking a word (or two) to focus on each year. These words are overarching concepts that I want more of in my life. They serve as a guiding light , a north star of sorts to remind me of my vision and the direction I intend to head over the next twelve months.

My words come to me as I reflect on the previous year. In November and December, I notice that certain words and themes show up repeatedly in my life. This pattern of recurrence is a clue to finding my words.

It would be nice if the words functioned as a checklist to easily incorporate and mark off, but I’ve found that the destination never comes without the journey. Living my words requires commitment, focus and dedication in the face of life’s inevitable obstacles - in other words, digging in and doing the work.

Last year, my words were Legacy and Ease. It was time to start thinking more deeply about the mark I hope to leave on the world, and I discovered that I feel “ease” when I am giving my best. Fully pursing and inhabiting those words will undoubtedly will be a lifelong pursuit.

This year, my words are RHYTHM and REST.

Health-wise, 2019 was a challenge. Without rest, we crash and burn. Our bodies go too far until they can take no more, and then they demand that we stop. While I didn’t feel particularly stressed, it turns out that I was (and am) in chronic way. All of my health issues can be traced back to stress, so finding a healthier pace through routines and mindset is of supreme importance to me this year.

Establishing better rhythms in both life and business has been on my heart for some time now, and rest is something that I don’t realize I’m missing until it’s forced upon me. So this year I want to be more intentional about developing rhythmic patterns that include rest. Plus, rhythm and rest are both musical terms, which the musician in me adores.

Some of my favorite definitions of RHYTHM:
- an ordered alternation of contrasting elements (Britannica)
- the aspect of music comprising all the elements that relate to forward movement (Merriam-Webster)
- a regularly recurring sequence of events, actions or processes (Oxford)

Some of my favorite definitions of REST:
- cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself or recover strength (Oxford)
- an internal of silence of a specified duration (Oxford)
- be based on or grounded in; depend on (Oxford)
- peace of mind or spirit (Merriam-Webster)
- to be free from anxiety or disturbance (Merriam-Webster)
- to remain for action or accomplishment (Merriam-Webster)
- to remain confident (Merriam-Webster)

Focusing on Rhythm and Rest this year looks like this:

RHYTHM

• Remembering that rhythm is the foundation - without rhythm, the whole thing falls apart!

• Implementing structure - incorporating more systems and healthy habits into my life, both personally and professionally

• Pacing myself - allowing my natural energy patterns to guide my productivity.

REST

• Vocal rest - taking care of my instrument by using it mindfully

• Scheduling it - dedicating time on my calendar to rest

• Choosing rejuvenating activities - light exercise, reading, meditation, beauty care, nature

• Less is more - less noise, less things, less rushing, less distraction

My Everyday Action

Neither Rhythm nor Rest are particularly active as words, themselves. I wanted an additional theme for the year that would give me something to do in any circumstance - instructions I could give myself in absolutely any situation to help me feel more in alignment with the person I want to be.

And so my everyday action is to share my heart with Godly confidence.

I don’t consider myself a particularly private person, but I am reserved. That quality sometimes manifests itself by my unintentionally holding back from fully sharing my heart. I want to allow myself to be more open and visible this year through my singing, speaking and writing so that I can be more generous with what I have to offer.

Godly confidence is a term that I heard from my business coach, Polly Payne. Normal, everyday confidence requires us to rely on ourselves and our own abilities. This makes it easy to succumb to doubt, criticism and fear. Godly confidence, on the other hand, allows us to rest our confidence in something greater - God, the Universe, our higher selves…whatever word, phrase or concepts resonates with you. Godly confidence requires stepping into the unknown, acting with integrity and believing that anything is possible.

Do you have a word or theme for the year? If so, I want to know what it is! Share it in the comments below.