I’ve been accumulating and considering my goals for 2020. A quick review of my 2019 goals shows success in some areas, mixed or minimal results in others, and ways I can improve on them for next year. Without further ado:
Gear: I’ll continue the spend/sell/trade tracking that I began in 2019, but will also include software and any shipping costs.
My guiding principles:
- The gear I have now is excellent, satisfying, and complete.
- Everything should fit the “focus/charm” and “hybridware” concepts. (E.g. no overkill; character is more important than “flexibility”; don’t duplicate excellent software with good hardware.)
- I don’t need to change anything. I can change some things.
- Think less about gear, think/feel more about technique, process, flow.
I won’t sell or trade any modular gear until I’ve got my hands on a SynthTech E520. (This allows wiggle room for beta testing though.)
I am likely to look at some other FX pedals in 2020, keeping in mind those principles. Analog Drive is a big success with the Reface CS, and the CS or Lyra could benefit from some other partners, maybe. I know Dark World is a little redundant for me. Tensor is very cool but I don’t use it very often; why?
Music generally: Reserve some time just to listen. Eyes closed, headphones on (probably), and not multitasking.
Give more support to other musicians through Bandcamp. I know I appreciate the same. Streaming is convenient for listeners, but a lousy deal for musicians.
And of course, keep making music. This year I don’t plan to do Knobcon, nor to really worry about promotion or live performances, or popularity. But making music and putting it out there is deeply satisfying, and I’ll keep doing it my way.
Health: tracking my gear trades worked out nicely for me, so what happens if I log food and exercise? And maybe even my blood sugar once in a while like I should be doing anyway? Keeping myself aware may lead automatically to better habits.
In terms of mental health and overall mindset: three words. “Relax. Calm. Wonder!”
Online health: Some questions I should ask myself before wading in, particularly given that this will be an election year:
- “What effect do I want my comment to have? (And is it a likely outcome?)”
- “Am I reacting defensively (to something that’s not really about me)?”
- “Is this worth the effort? Is it helping?”
- “Can anything good come out of even reading this thread/article/etc?”