I love the end of the year time. It's a time when I can stop, be grateful for the good of last 12 months, breathe deeply, spend time with friends and family, re-assess where I am and where I want to go and yes... make resolutions! Why do I find them helpful? Because with my personality, I find that intending something helps me actually do it. Here are some New Year Resolutions for my voice and for yours. I may or may not keep all of them, but just writing them down registers somewhere important in my brain that has to do with acting on them! Here goes...

•  Drink more water  

 I need to practice what I preach!   

• Manage time better 

I will eliminate some activities and schedule sane, do-able daily, weekly, monthly tasks that reflect my real priorities. I will make time to plan for success at what I want to accomplish.

• Write and co-write some really great songs 

I will dig a little deeper in the well. 

• Practice and rehearse voice, instrumental and performance skills more 

This is also how I discover more of what works for others and makes my vocal coaching more effective, so in doing I am better at teaching.

• Take better care of myself. 

I intend to eat better food more regularly, get more wise physical exercise in, find more time to daydream, get outside more, get new sleep-friendly pillows for our bed.

• Take regular time off 

I recently checked my pulse and found... I'm human! I need to get back to starting the day in silence, prayers for discernment, reflection. I am longing for more time with family and friends. I also need to do nothing a lot more!

• Learn something new every day ... Do something new regularly

I want to discover new things about the voice, piano, guitar, performance, music marketing, art, health, making tabouli, aquariums,  my friends and family, myself, etc. Create music I've never made before.

• Keep better balance between work, play, interests 

 Too much music can a dull, numb, lonely musician make. I find I need to both teach and perform, create and record, watch great movies and read a book, hang out with musicians and people with no musical backgrounds or interests, play putt putt and do a little Kung Fu.

• Make every single songwriting session, vocal performance, vocal lesson, recording production or spoken presentation something worthy of the effort. 

I believe the art should drive the business rather than the other way around. I will be more personally fulfilled and more useful to others if I go for more excellence and less mediocrity in everything I do.

• To play a gig in the venue pictured on top of this post

...and I wish the same for you!

So dear voice... what about you? As you watch the midnight ball descend in Times Square Dec 31st or play your New Year gig, what are you intending to do differently beginning the next morning?

And happy New Year to us all!! 

Labels: Judy Rodman, new year resolutions