It’s taken me a good long time to write this post, but resolutions are a big deal. I’m publicly declaring my flaws and shortcomings (some of them) and I’m detailing my plans to buff them out and measure up. I don’t think it’s necessary to wait until January 1 to start thinking about being a better person or about living a more fulfilled life, but according to a Marist poll taken in December now is the time that 48% of Americans adults start to rethink how they’re living. I’m taking some advice from Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training blog. He recommends writing down three short-term and three long-term goals per category. I did my best, but I’m not making resolutions for the sake of having three for now and three for later. Some of these resolutions came straight from a Men’s Health list entitled 14 Resolutions that Make You a Better Man.

Health & Fitness

Short-Term Resolutions

1. I will eat better. I will do this by eating more fruits and veggies and by munching on more whole grains. I’m going to increase my number of meals from 3 or 4 medium-sized meals to 5 or 6 smaller meals per day, and I’m going to cut out carbs after 8 p.m. What else? Vitamin supplements (Go! Go! Gadget Gummies!) and lots of water.
2. I will to go to bed after Conan, not just because Jimmy Fallon sucks, but because sleep is very important. Let’s be honest, nothing happens late at night that you can’t watch/read/listen to/deal with/whatever in the morning.
3. I don’t drink often, but when I do I will cut down by one drink per session. According to Men’s Health I’ll save 150 calories (if I’m drinking beer) and up to $5 a night. I have plans for that 5-spot. “Ten fewer beers a month means a yearly 5 pounds off your gut and an extra $600 in your wallet.”

Long-Term Resolutions

1. I will get my 6-pack back. I listed this under my long-term goals because this is really about changing my lifestyle. I’ve got the muscle, I just need to get on the right diet to shed the rolls and rolls of blubber that are keeping me warm.
2. Once I get right physically, I will get my weight back up to 175-180 lbs. with a body fat percentage of 6% or less. I’m a little worried about living on the road away from the gym for so long, but I’ve put together a great bodyweight routine that’s based on the 300 Workout. I’m in pretty good shape and I think I can handle this workout 3 maybe 4 days a week.

Personal Growth & Interests

Short-Term Resolutions

1. I will update blog more frequently. My goal is 2 or more updates each week. It took me a while to get it updated on the regular, which is good and all, but the regular has a tendency to look something like an update every week and a half. How exactly am I going to do this?
2. I will to write something every day. I keep a running list of ideas on my computer that I’m constantly adding to. It’s a list of monologues, scenes, lyrics, beats, everything. The idea is to write down these ideas before I forget them and to develop them further when I get the chance. The problem is I rarely develop them. Now I have a list of 450+ ideas, all of which I thought were killer ideas at one time, but now I’m having trouble remember what I thought was so good about them to begin with.
3. I will practice Spanish. You lose it if you don’t use it.

Long-Term Resolutions

1. How long have I had a guitar? And how long have I been less than mediocre on it? Far too long. And for that matter, I’ve had a keyboard in my room for years that I still can’t play. Well that’s all about to change. I will learn to play them like I learned to play my sax.
2. I’ve never been a big reader, but I will read 50 books this year. This is ambitious for me, but I’ll be done before I know it. One book at a time.
3. I will travel abroad. I don’t know where or when or if I’ll be able to afford to this year, but I’m putting this out there into the universe. I will travel abroad.

Personal Finance

Short-Term Resolutions

1. I blow a lot of money on iTunes every month and that just has to stop. I will set myself a $30/month limit on mint.com. That should help me get my spending under control.
2. A while back I found a blog post about a $5 savings plan. It couldn’t be easier: stash away a Lincoln every time you get one, and take a trip to the bank every $50. I did it before, I can do it again.

Long-Term Resolutions

1. I will put $5,000 away in the bank. I can do this if I stick to the $5 savings plan and I deposit one weekly paycheck a month (assuming that I find good work after my tour). Watch me do this. Watch me.

Career, Education, & Training

Long-Term Resolutions

1. I’ve been meaning to get back into voice lessons for a while. I can afford them now that I’m working again. And, you know what? While I’m at it I’ll get some dance lessons too. I will learn to sing and dance like Timberlake and Usher.
2. I will audition more. I have all the resources I need, I just have to make my calendar.

Family & Relationships

Short-Term Resolutions

1. I will to call my family more often. I need to deal with the phone and just call them.
2. This is from Men’s Health: “Every great thing has it’s golden age. Often that age is right now. Live there, not in some glorious past you’re probably misremembering.” Ain’t that the truth? I won’t be alive forever. Time to start living here and now.
3. I will make more plans with my friends and family. They won’t be alive forever, either.

Long-Term Resolutions

1. I will learn more about my parents. Now that I’m older and I know that my parents are people too, I want to know more about them.
2. I will strengthen a number of relationships in my life. Again, the people around me won’t be around me forever.

I was lonely and bored this evening so I made a quick video.

I was chillin at The Brotherhood with my old roommates Nic and Thomas. It was just another day in at the house: we were all in the living room pumping that huge-ass AC, Thomas was contorted on the couch playing Super Mario Galaxy, Nic was looking at motorcycles on Craig’s List, and I was sipping on a Yuengling. Good times.

By now I’m wide awake and sitting in the dark on the edge of my bed. I’m thinking about how the plane crash dream has me thinking about Nic and Thomas. There was a time when we were so close. Like brothers. But I let that slip away. After college I did a year-long apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville and true the hours were hell and yes I was busy, but c’mon man. You were like brothers. And you let that slip away.

And now I’m thinking about other people. Other brothers and sisters. Other best friends. Other people you call at 3 o’clock in the morning. Other people who’d help you move. Other people who’d help you move at 3 o’clock in the morning. Other people who’d lie for you. Or cheat for you. Other people who’d do anything to stick up for you. Birthdays. Graduations. Engagement parties. Weddings.

I got so caught up in what I need to be doing for myself that I started to lose sight of the people who helped me get this far. I know that you can’t be there for everything, or for everyone, all the time, but I also know that I really dropped the ball. And it’s time to set it right.

I’m sure this has something to do with Mike’s death and something to do with talking to Nic and Thomas yesterday, but regardless of that, trying to make it as an actor ain’t always easy. For some people it is, but for the rest of us it’s a lot of hard work. It can easily have you thinking about you you you all the time. Whether or not you’re on the long and winding path to your first big break, take a moment to reflect on your life and relationships. Maybe there’s someone you fell out of touch with for silly or not so silly reasons. It’s time to reconnect. I’m just glad it didn’t take a real plane wreck to knock some sense into me.