An open-letter from 2015 Me to 2016+ Me.

This whole thing is inspired from a Facebook post by a buddy, Justin Labaw-Rivers – owner of Original Thought. So, I took his idea and made my own letter-to-self to set things straight heading into 2016.

Typically, I either write huge, outlandish lists of goals and never actually tackle more than 2 or 3 in a given year and probably accomplish even less than that. Or, I have a cynical approach to the whole situation and just think I’m gonna figure it out along the way.

Spoiler alert: I never do.

But, after a few years of life kicking my ass, I’m done licking my wounds and ready to make some serious strides in bettering things. Here’s my open, very honest note-to-self as to what needs to be fixed and in a jiffy.

Cheers to New Years!

Less pity parties.
The last thing anyone wants to be surrounded by is a Debbie Downer. At this stage in the game, it’s pretty much guaranteed that something or somethingS aren’t gonna go as planned on any given day. Roll with it. Adjust. Fix it. But for god sakes stop dwelling on it and letting it pour into every other part of your life.

All in all, be a more positive person. Not one of those super-annoying positive people that hashtag “blessed” on everything. But, seriously focus on the good things in life first.

Make more art. 
You have this gift that you need to let shine. Lose yourself in your creativity. Find yourself in your work. Just let go, loosen up and don’t be afraid to get a little messy. Or a lot. You’re a goshdamn artist. Go be one. Whatever you do, just make more art.

Invest in the things you actually care about. 
Family. Relationships. Health. Style. Music. Creativity. Experiences. All these things are the threads that make the fabric of your being. None of them should fall to the wayside just to make a buck.

By investing in these things you’re allowing your true-self to shine… and I promise you’ll make a few bucks when you allow that to happen. If not, at least you’re living the life you want to live and that alone is worth it.

Learn some new things. 
Let’s be honest, Aaron. You’ve been feeling stale and bored for a lot longer than you’re willing to outwardly admit. Probably because you’ve always been relying on things you already know to “get you by”. Quit trying to just get by. Be intentional about building that life of yours.

Learn things like chess. And poker. And play them with friends. Or make new friends while learning to play them. Pick up an instrument. Sing. Get better at telling stories (seriously… you kinda suck at this.) Maybe even get your motorcycle license. And learn how to work on your badass motorcycle!

Travel. 
Pretty cut & dry. Nothing makes you love home more than when you’ve been gone from it. It doesn’t have to be exotic or cost much. Take weekend solo trips. Go bro camping. Or solo camping. Pick a random place on the map and go explore.

Be excited about learning. And be sure to indulge in local culture and make a friend or two while you’re there. There’s so much out there that can mold you into something more than you already are. But, I promise you this… you won’t find it with your butt on the couch.

Get serious about your finances. 
You’re an adult. Over-drafting you bank account, bad credit and late payments are all for 20-something Aaron. Take this piece of your life seriously. Put together a budget and stick to it. Be intentional about paying off some or all of that debt that isn’t just gonna go away in time. Sure, you’ll make a few sacrifices this year but it’ll pay off in dividends the rest of your life.

Learn to forgive yourself, dude. 
You’re not perfect. You screw things up and piss people off. That’s okay. You’ve been known to fall flat on your face a time or two. And dine on your foot on a pretty regular basis. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad guy. It means you’re human.

You’re thoughts & actions are genuine and you’re honestly a solid person at heart. That always surfaces and the right people take notice. Just continue to do the right thing no matter what the cost. It‘ll work out in your favor. Follow your moral compass and all will be a-okay.

Be better about getting help. 
You gotta start asking people to help you out and stop trying to tackle this whole world on your own. You’re not 2Pac. (Me Against the World reference) Seriously. Even superheroes have side-kicks or the other Avengers to lean on.

Surround yourself with people who are willing (and probably really excited) to lend a helping hand. And be strong enough to ask. Partner with people on projects. Or business ventures. But this flying solo thing has run its course. It’s time to take down the walls and actually let people in for a change.

Less TV. 
Waaaay more reading and writing. I think it’s safe to say you’ve binge watched your fair share of Netflix these past few years. It’s time to read more books. And write more too.

People can teach you and you can teach people. But nobody is being taught after 10 straight hours of “Making a Murderer”. You can be SO MUCH MORE productive with your time. And you already know this. Now follow thru with it.

Find peace for yourself. 
Be okay with being you. In fact, start owning that shit. Bottom line in all this is:

You owe it to yourself & the rest of the world around you to once and for all, finally establish some inner peace & honest happiness.

For some reason, it’s been a struggle to allow yourself these things. But, you’re not doing anybody any favors by living life dogmatically, continuing to battle these self-created demons you keep deep inside. Once and for all, let go of everything that you wish was different about your story until now. None of that can be changed. But you can start fresh and new.

Believe in who you are and who you are becoming. Trust your instincts. Follow your gut. You’re waaaaay better at this living life thing than you even know.