There’s a natural soul-searching during this time of year. Do I spend money on my loved ones, or is quality time more important? Have I been spending too much time investing in my work, or not enough? Am I living my best life NOW, or am I still in survival mode? Whether this reflection is brought up by family visits, relaxing vacations, or making plans for the new year, it all comes to a pinnacle as we shift away from celebrating holidays and into starting anew in January.

As someone born on New Year’s Day, I’ve resisted creating work for myself over the years. Especially when the tasks associated with resolutions can seem daunting and insurmountable. Who thought starting a regimented new routine directly after it was disrupted during the holidays was a good idea? A resolution requires tangible goals, which is all well and good, but right after checking out for a couple of weeks? Personally, I prefer “Annual Themes”. These themes act as guardrails, and they have kept me oriented as I face each year’s challenges.

The best part of an “annual theme” is that you are still at liberty to define your S.M.A.R.T. goals at any time, it just doesn’t have to be delivered on January 1st and measured for success every month. No wonder so many people crumble under the pressure! Today’s blog is a reflection on my 2024 “annual theme” and an exploration of how I determined my 2025 theme. I sincerely hope this inspires you, dear reader, to take a moment to reflect by yourself as well, so that you too may sense the shift in your own evolution.

A Note About Wellness

For most of my life, I’ve been of two minds - an artist and a leader. In high school, these were fostered by theater and martial arts. Eventually, they would manifest as film and holistic healing. After 14 years as a nationally certified massage therapist and Reiki practitioner, I had not realized that I began employing that holistic mentality to my screen craft as well. Exploring character development by using the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, for example, is a signature approach for me. So, as you begin to explore your own NEEDS and WANTS as a creative professional, I would encourage you to consider your own dimensions of wellness.

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness are:

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Spiritual
• Environmental
• Financial
• Social
• Occupational

As you reflect on each aspect, ask yourself:

• How do I feel about this aspect right now?
• What do I feel I have? What do I feel I lack?
• How is this different from when I started the year?
• What efforts did I make towards improving this aspect that I’m particularly proud of?
• What efforts was I unable to make? Do I still feel like that effort is important to my overall wellness?
• In what ways do I feel I can let go of certain expectations that are causing unnecessary heartache?

The reason this “holistic” reflection is important is because it allows each person to understand the give-and-take of each choice. If someone were to only reflect on their efforts within their occupation, for example, then it would be easy to see things as only “successes” or “failures”. EX: I wrote the screenplay, but then I didn’t enter it into any contests. The success feels like CHECK, the screenplay is done, but what does that matter if I’m not sharing it, so FAIL. See how deflating that mentality is! Instead, if you recognize what you were doing instead of submitting to contests - perhaps you were reading others’ scripts in the hopes to get feedback while meeting new friends - then perhaps you simply have a different victory to claim in a separate arena.

There is a residual effect with this holistic approach as well. When you begin to see every choice as a victory then you are less likely to beat yourself up for that choice. You didn’t fail to continue to do something occupationally, but rather re-prioritize your time to now focus on social or mental wellness. Imagine for a moment - what is something you feel you regret from this year? What were you doing instead? Now, what if you told yourself “I needed to do that thing (whatever you chose to do), and I trust that that was the best decision for myself at the time”?

Sit with that feeling. Can you feel a shift? Do you feel yourself become lighter? Or do you sense tension and resistance?

Don’t worry about what it means or what to do about it just yet. Just sit with it. Try to describe the feeling, and then let it go.

Identifying an “Annual Theme” at Its End:

Sometimes we cannot determine an “annual theme” at the beginning of the year. Luckily, the end-of-year reflection allows us to still gauge what the unspoken theme was or could be. Based on this assessment, we now have the ability to determine if this theme is still important moving forward. As it turns out, you don’t have to change your theme _every_ year. You have the liberty, but not the obligation. See how much more freeing that is than a “New Year’s Resolution”? AND you still have the ability to adjust your strategy, even if the intention behind it is the same.

Allow me to unpack my 2024 “annual theme” to show you what I mean.

Wrapping Up My Year of “No”

Oh, yes. While I adore Shonda Rhymes’s “Year of ‘Yes’”, I could not continue to say “yes” to so many things any longer. The wrong “yes” could cost me time, money, heartache, headache, bum-ache - hell, it all but cost me my marriage. So, I had to start saying “no” in order to make the best “yes” possible. Feeling good about my eventual “yes” was one of the best decisions I ever made leading up to my 2025 Mid-Life Peace. What all did I say “no” to?

• No to overtime or phone calls during off hours - if I allow my work to interfere with my personal time, then what am I even working for?
• No to doing all the tasks myself, even to save a project - if I delegate something to someone else, then they have to do it, or we all fail.
• No projects that don’t have a tangible ROI - at this point in my career, I cannot put in hours of time per week into a project that is not going to be funded the same year. Smaller projects with quicker deliverables is a greater advantage to me because any profit from it will allow me and my production company to continue to invest in larger projects without sinking us financially
• No Continued Unacceptable Behavior - if poor performance is met with unclear consequences, then it will persist; at this point in my life, a three-warning system (verbal, written, termination) is generous
• No reading scripts unless they are experienced or paying - if I start teaching instead of giving notes, then this should be a paid service

Practicing saying “no” in small doses helps keep the practice up. I began small by repotting plants and pruning them as part of my home gardening. By saying “no” to parts of the plant that were not supporting the overall health of the plant was a small way of practicing. Also, throwing things out instead of keeping them, regardless if it is properly disposed of. Sometimes I get held up if I think “I can’t get rid of that yet until I know if I’ll be selling it or donating it” which can quickly spiral into “And if I donate it, where do I donate it?” NOPE - just get rid of it. Clearing it from your space is so much more valuable than waiting for the perfect exit from your life.

Because of these little trends, I’ve felt more discerning in other parts of my life. I’m less precious about my writing. Even my decision-making as a producer feels easier. While “no” has served to help me focus and gain confidence, I’m still searching for peace. Technically, My Year of “No” isn’t wrapping up - it’s expanding!

Strolling Into My Year of “Peace” or My “Mid-life Peace”

During my reflection on my efforts throughout 2024, I contemplated how well-equipt I was to outlive my parents. My father died before he turned 60, suffering from diabetes. My mother just turned 72, and while she is in decent health, she seems to be constantly preparing for the worst. It made me wonder - how much longer do I have on this earth to do what I want to do? To complete what I feel like I’m here to contribute to the world? I saw myself at the pace I’m at right now with a life easily as short as my father’s, and it made me so incredibly sad. I have so much left to do! So, I’m manifesting a long life filled with wellness and intention. I’m turning 44, and I’m sowing the seeds of an 88-year life.

To do this, I first had to admit what I was lacking. For me, that was a routine and tangible, non-negotiable deadline for my projects. This past year I made the wise decision to delegate more tasks, which required that I grow my team. I now have four contractors working for my production company, as well as a producing partner, and a creative partner. Saying “No, I will not do that” gave me the freedom to say, “But if that needs to get done for the project, who else can take it on?” Now, I know that those things have to add up to a very specific deliverable.

In a way, 2024 was all about protecting my mental and emotional well-being so that 2025 can be about protecting my physical, financial, and occupational well-being. This shift is about focusing on what I want without sacrificing what I need. In a weird, magical way, it is also about creating my own reality as I create professionally for others as well.

The Importance of Legacy

Part of the importance of understanding one’s theme is also to be clear about the lesson. The lessons I was learning this time last year made me understand that I was saying “yes” to too many things while not fully assessing their value.

Now that I have a better understanding of the value of the projects I may be tempted to attach myself to, I now have to consider if it interferes with my “peace”. My ability to get sleep, my ability to take care of myself physically, to compensate me adequately. And if it doesn’t? Then it doesn’t matter how much I love the idea or the people attached - I have to say “no” to protect my peace.

What an empowering thought, though, that saying “no” makes room for something that does fit all the criteria to find its way to you. OR that you can craft it yourself! For example, I had to pause a rather large project because it was taking too much time without adequate return. It was enticing because it would allow me to produce a feature film. However, I have another opportunity to helm a feature as a director with a smaller budget. Redirecting that energy towards a microbudget feature, AND releasing it sooner rather than later, will allow me to reap the residual income sooner. Not only would it allow me to direct (Occupational), but it could help me continue working on bigger projects (Financial).

When you start to look at the opportunity behind the decision, then it doesn’t seem like a loss at all. Just better choices, and really, I can’t think of anything more peaceful than that.

If you enjoyed this blog, I hope you’ll join me in sharing your New Year’s THEME in the comments below. What Wellness Dimensions are you focusing on? Which ones were you victorious in last year?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .