When 2026 started, I decided not to make any New Year’s resolutions or to set any goals yet, but that doesn’t mean I will stop working towards the things I truly want to achieve.
I know I should’ve written this last month, but it feels like I’m finally starting to find my groove again. I’m going to be honest: this year didn’t have the best start, and that’s partially why I decided not to make any big plans yet. I want to be in the moment for now and work on how I can do better or be better right now. I want to do good now, so my future self can be proud of me.
That said, I still have high hopes for this year. There are goals from 2025 that I’ve yet to accomplish, and this year I’m going to continue pursuing them. The best way I can do it is to take it step by step. I’m a big-picture thinker, and I sometimes struggle to break my ideas or goals into small pieces. That’s why that is my first hope for the year.
I want to be able to do the small things to ultimately try and reach the big goals. Two of my biggest goals are to write a short story anthology series and to try and write a screenplay. To do this, I’m going to try and write a minimum of one page per day, hoping I can do at up to 10 pages per day.
I’ve been dreaming about writing or telling stories since I was 9 years old, and this year I hope to turn that dream into a reality. I started with this last year, but I struggled to make time for it. Hopefully, I can finally get going again, and that the stories I write will be ones I’ve been hoping to tell.
When it comes to growing The Movie Guy, my goal is to focus a little less on the short videos and to hopefully do some interviews with actors, filmmakers, and anyone working in the movie industry. I’m happy to report that I’ve already done my first interview, and it was with the actor Siv Ngesi. You can go read the article or listen to it on my podcast Popcorn & Sidequests (coming soon).
Last year I got to chat with Misha Collins. Hopefully this year I can talk to some other international actors and, fingers crossed, a director. I want to prove to myself that I’m more than just a guy who talks about movies and TV. I want my opinion and reviews to complement the industry.
The last thing I hope to do this year is to start accepting that I can’t control everything. I don’t have control over people’s opinions, their views of me and my work, and I don’t have control over how they respond to what I’m doing. I’ve been learning the hard way that people’s opinions shouldn’t shape how you see yourself.
I do what I love, and if they don’t love what I do, then it’s okay. What I do might not be for them, and I don’t have to reply to every bad comment. Just because they don’t like the way I do or say something, or because they don’t agree with me, doesn’t mean I should stop. Someone told me that I shouldn’t take critique from someone who I wouldn’t take advice from.
I’m still learning and I’m growing. I’m excited for what the year can bring. There are many great films and TV shows that I can’t wait to watch and talk about. I’ve already been to the cinema a few times this year, and it’s just getting started. Comic Con Cape Town is three months away, and I’m really looking forward to once again being in the middle of one of the greatest pop culture events.
