17th October 2015

She Said She Would. So She Did.

Beating the Original Super Mario Brothers. Writing and directing my first narrative film. Reading the book about Pixar. Getting the high score on Galaga on the machine in my building. Traveling to Italy and drinking insane amounts of wine. Finally getting that tattoo.

It’s easy to want to do things. It’s harder to actually do them.

And yet it feels so good when we do things. When we wake up and realize: damn, I did that big thing. And I did it well. So why is it so hard to commit?

I have always wanted to be known as the kind of person that got shit done.

It started in high school, when my ultra competitive nature meant that I wanted to get into my choice colleges. It transitioned into that first year in the dorms, where I challenged myself to become a freshman staff reporter at the largest daily college newspaper in the country. (I totally did that too, by the way.) And it continued early in my career, when I decided to teach myself how to be a film editor to expand my creative professional options. That bet paid off immensely.

Then adulting got in the way.

And grocery lists.

And dating.

And all the things that don’t really have “dream” attached to them. Instead, it’s more like “obligation” with a dash of social expectations.

For me, so much of my growth this year has been about getting back to that girl. The one that said she was going to do something and then actually did it. It started simply: seeking out the challenges I’ve always wanted to achieve and forcing myself to make progress, no matter how small. Initially, this was about the simple task of crossing things off my to do list. Anyone who has ever had an absurd collection of post-it notes knows this: There is a sick level of self-satisfaction that comes from crossing things off of your to-do list. Imagine that tiny little personal pleasure being amplified by 10 or 100 when you do something truly life changing?!

Before I knew it, the dreams got bigger: write a script in the Wes Anderson cafe. Done.

Create my own start-up and actually hire some people. Done.

Write and direct a film. Done.

The point is: if you want to be the kind of person who feels fulfilled, work to fulfill yourself through goal-oriented ass kicking. Be the sort of woman who says: I want to do this. And then actually do it. Make the list. And do it.

You’ll be happier. Trust me. I know, because I am.

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17th October 2015

She Said She Would. So She Did.

The End