Filed under: A Little Me, Futuristic Musings, Health, Music, NaNoWriMo, On Stage, Plays/Musicals, Song Writing, Writing | Tags: 13, 2013, audition, Goals, music, musical, novel, Singing, writing
Did you know my favorite number is 13?
I was born on October 13, which is also known as International Skeptics Day, though I’ve never tossed salt over my shoulder on the very rare occasion that I’ve spilt salt. So there’s that and then there’s the fact that I’ve never had a negative experience surrounding the number 13–generally things are good.
And now I have a feeling that 2013 is setting up to be the year to beat. I’m going to make it that way.
In mapping out my goals and things I want to accomplish this coming year, I decided to break them into monthly pieces for the most part. In 2012, I found that the monthly projects I did turned out better than other things (such as VEDA and NaNoWriMo). And I feel like my motivation to make everything come to fruition keeps increasing the more I do.
So here are the goals and goings-on for this year! I’m keeping everything fairly flexible since things can change (namely due to possible auditions), but here’s a good idea of what I’d like to accomplish in the first few months.
January
Goal
- Completing the Whole30.
The why: I’m generally a healthy person, but I really want to see how different foods affect me and if eliminating certain food groups will optimize my body’s functions. So starting today, January 2, I’m doing the Whole30. I’ve been easing my way into the habits and meals I’ll be eating so it’s not a complete shock to my system. And if my body functions better (sleeping better, more energy, etc), I will likely continue and perhaps slowly reintroduce the food groups I cut out to see if I can handle them. Anyone else want to join me in doing this?
Goings-On
- Audition for Les Miserables at Pioneer Theatre.
- Rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
- Making sure I have a place to move into when my lease is up.
February/March
Goal
- Edit my NaNoWriMo Novel and polish up the ending.
The why: Because you can’t complete National Novel Writing Month and do nothing with the 50K+ words that you wrote for it. I want to prepare it for trial readers and perhaps publishing if it is well received. This will be my first round of edits and hope to have a decent second draft by the end of March (since rehearsals will be insane).
Goings-On
- Joseph: Rehearsals in February and performances in March.
- Moving into a new place March 1–should be a ball.
- Audition for Ragtime at Hale Centre Theatre, March 16.
April
Goal(s)
- Participate in VEDA again.
The why: Because I loved the experience last year and I feel like vlogging really lights a flame under my butt to do something more (well, it did last August). - Finish up my website portal.
The why: I’ve been in the process of building a website for my music/performing purposes and also a website to be a spot for my writing (since I hope to turn both into a source of income in the near future). And because they are separate facets in my life, they need different zones on the web. They will still be connected–not like I have two identities–just separate. It makes sense in my head.
Goings-On
- Hard to know yet! Fingers crossed for Les Miserables rehearsals though. If not, then I’d want to just focus on my music or a third draft of my NaNoWriMo novel while I can!
May
Goal
- Lay down and record at least 2-3 songs for my EP.
The why: Because I want to produce my own CD with my own music, and releasing my single in December has me raring to make more. And I just got an interface to connect my keyboard with my computer (a happy christmas to myself) so… magic may be going down before April. That’s just my goal month to have a couple songs done and ready to master. ;)
Goings-On
- The final BiSC! Sad, but I’m so totally stoked for it. I know there will be people I already know and love and new people to greet with monstrous bear hugs.
* * *
And BiSC seems like a good spot to end this list for now. ;)
Since I won’t know if I’ll be cast in a show that I’m planning on auditioning for yet (like Les Mis or Ragtime), so it’s hard to set goals without really knowing what kind of time I have to dedicate to them after the April/May marker. That will be a time to reassess what goals would be manageable with whatever time I do have.
But did you think I was done? NOPE! I have a handful of other non-time-sensitive (NTS) goals too.
NTS Goals:
- Once my 365 over at Something Write is done, I’d like to continue a similar pattern but less strict, but with 5 creative pieces a week.
- Blog here at MikShorty 3-4 times a month, or once a week. I think consistency would be better here.
- Trim out non-essentials in my life. This can include: unfollow/unfriend people who I no longer feel are a part of my life (had some major WTF moments going through my FB friends last week),
- Get in a work out at least 4 days a week, even if just for 15 minutes (dancing for shows is only partial credit, haha). I’m playing on Fitocracy if anyone cares to join!
- Have at least one day a month unconnected. A whole weekend if possible (no computer, iPad, and only answering phone calls/texts as required).
And that’s pretty much it for now! Looking forward to an amazing year!
So what are your goals for 2013?
What do you want to achieve?
And would you like to join me in any of the above? ;)
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Filed under: A Little Me, Family, Futuristic Musings, Happy Dance Time, Holidays!, Yummy Food
As I walked into the A Fresh Market for Starbucks this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder when the pumpkin spice flavor would make it’s grand return.
Then there was the sign. And the affirming smile from my lovely little barista, whom I love a lot, told me everything I needed to know.
PUMPKIN SPICE IS BACK!
That basically means all the excitement! I may or may not have squealed so loud that those in the poultry part of the store (aka: the other end) may have gone deaf.
I’m not kidding when I say pumpkin spice is one of my favorite flavors of Starbucks. I may have only started drinking coffee about a year and a half ago, but when I first tried pumpkin spice, my heart was sold.
Not only does this flavor mean that fall is underway, but it means that Christmas is just one step closer. I may not like cold weather, but the time period between Thanksgiving and New Years is one of my favorites out of the entire year because of the joy it brings and the time I get to spend with my family.
Just thinking about that this morning gave me tears of joy. Yes, I cried on my way to work. All happy tears. I wanted to make fun of myself but I just decided to enjoy it instead. I mean, how often does one wake up so happy that you can’t help but cry and be thankful for everything you have?
*happy sigh*
So what are you thankful for today?
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Filed under: A Little Me, Futuristic Musings, Good Things, Happy Dance Time, Updates, Vegas!
I must be a glutton for punishment… In order to be productive, distractions must be relinquished from the brain. And due to the nature of the biggest distraction, blogging seemed fitting.
So today– finish up my blog work for Park City TV around 2-ish. Low and behold, that’s the last productive thing I’ve done all day. I mean besides finishing Catching Fire (and now aching to pick up Mockingjay, but a girl needs to get a grip on at least something).
Wanna know what derailed me? Odds are if you are reading this, you may already have a hint.
Yep, you got it. #BiSC. Bloggers in Sin City. AKA: The Most Amazing Weekend Known to Both Mankind and the Animal Kingdom.
Today was registration day! I remember last year when I literally made the decision to go on a whim and it turned out to be one of the very best decisions I made in 2011. Undoubtedly one of the best weekends of my life!
With my new job stuff this year, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go this year. Over the weekend I asked my boss since I’m asking super-ahead-of-time if this trip would be doable. He said it could totally be fine! Cue screaming like a school girl.
So I charged my MasterCard with the registration fee, promptly hid the little piece of plastic among my books so I can’t use it, and filled out the form just so I can say this… I’M GOING BACK TO BISC! I have the button in my sidebar to prove it!
Since I’ve registered, practically all my thoughts are going around like this in my brain: Who’s coming back? YAY we get to do Sin City all over again together! Oh, who’s that girl? She’s new; she seems awesome. Let’s be friends! Man… I wonder how long it will take for me to pay this off. Eh, not long since I have 4 PT jobs–oh, wait there’s a free BiSC giveaway??!! Why shouldn’t I read all the bios on the BiSC website? It’s like getting to know these people (plus new ones!) all over again! I mean, when else would I get time? Seriously? Ooh, my gosh. There are new guys coming too! How exciting! Gosh, everyone is/seems SO cool. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL MAY!
Do you want to know what would be even cooler? Getting to attend for free! Paper’d, a kickass iPhone design app due to be released next month, is sponsoring a free BiSC experience to one of the 60 bloggers who have registered to attend. I’ve been on the email list for Paper’d for months now because it is the baby of the people behind Shatterboxx and they are pretty much the best web designers ever. I’m in love with the websites that they’ve Shatterboxxed (and I can’t wait to do that with my iPhone). So seriously… how can I not enter for a chance at this awesome giveaway? ;)
Now that I’m all BiSC-ed out (actually, not really but it’s a lot less absorbing now), I can finish getting some work done. That is, if I can keep myself away from Mockingjay… seriously why do I get so addicted to books?!
Wishing happy heart boners for all!
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Filed under: A Little Me, Dating, Futuristic Musings, Good Things, Kurious, On Stage, Open, Religion? What's that?, Remembering, Try, Updates
Lately, I can’t help but state this out loud: “I feel like I’ve been rather impulsive lately.”
And it’s kinda really true! It’s been a pattern this year, I’ve noticed.
Ever since this summer in particular, I’ve been riding high because of my new-found faith in life–I found some sort of center. Happiness and peace was mine, so naturally the courage to just jump at things without fear came with that.
My first big moment of impulsivity came with deciding to go to Bloggers in Sin City. I basically saw the website and decided right then that I had to attend. No other thought required. And it turned out to be a fantastic experience that I’d gladly do again!
My new motto is basically summed up like this:
“Why not? I’ll never know if I don’t try!”
The impulse list has since gone to including:
- Auditioning for The Voice,
- Blatantly hitting on my office crush,
- Getting certified to teach Zumba,
- Getting baptized into the LDS church (though that did take a few months of deliberating so not exactly impulsive in the normal sense–more like impulsive in the way of no one was expecting it),
- Buying a brand new 2012 Subaru Legacy whom I affectionately named Akasha,
- Auditioning for two shows within the same week in hopes of getting cast in either,
- Agreeing to hangout with Thoroughly Modern Millie cast members while in LA even though I’d only known them for a week,
- Being the last minute DJ for my step-brother’s wedding,
- Attending a wedding in Sacramento where I only knew a few people,
- Applying to graduate schools in California,
- and many more little things that would take a long time to list. ;)
Most recently, I even toyed with the idea of starting the 100 pushups plan and NaNoWriMo (that only lasted a week because grad school stuff is sucking all my creative juices at the moment).
Each of these things were basically decided either right before I did them or by the time the idea hit my head, I knew I’d be going for it even if it took a while to actually get’r’done.
Yep, just call me Impulsive. Why don’t we just change that on my birth certificate right now?
Almost everything I’ve said “yes” to has been either an amazing experience or an excellent learning opportunity. Taking life as it comes and as I continue to go for unexpected stars is certainly a good way to go. I wonder what star will beg for my attention next!
What’s the most impulsive thing you’ve done lately?
—
MAGIC MARKER UPDATE
Amber Adrian has started the 30 Day challenge of seeing, making and feeling magic every day. Here’s a bit of the sparkle you’ve missed since yesterday.
- Memorized 2 scenes last night during rehearsal. Sparkle, sparkle!
- Learned and eventually nailed how to do the french inhale with the hookah. Took me hours to get it…
- The fact that I’m up and somewhat functioning at all today is pretty magical. Three hours of crappy sleep is hard to battle.
Follow the magic on Twitter w/ #magicmarkers!
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Filed under: A Little Me, Blips, Boyfriend, College, Dreams, Family, Fiction, Friends, Futuristic Musings, Good Things, Imagine, Love, Music, On Stage, Plays/Musicals, RaNdOm, Religion? What's that?, Remembering, Singing, Stories, Try, Updates, Utah, Vegas!, Writing, Yummy Food
What a month… what a MONTH! Yes, October is over and my jaw is on the floor. This year has gone by so stinkin’ fast that I haven’t had time to tie my shoes yet! Joking, but still. Seriously, Father Time? Haven’t you heard the phrase “slow and steady win the race”? You’re treating us like that damn hare who can’t even make it to the finish line! :P
Okay, I really digress back to what happened this October. It was a good one. Emotion filled one. Not so celebration filled since I barely celebrated my birthday and Halloween. Still had a blast though. =) Now for the nitty-gritty.
October was…
Attending the LDS General Conference with friends and family–amazing experience. A moose family and a couple bucks passing through our backyard. A nasty cold that Zumba couldn’t cure. Checking out buying a new Subaru so I can make it up the mountain to my house. Very sad when Steve Jobs left this world for the next. First snow of the season. New heating blanket to save myself from the biting mountain cold. Getting baptized! Awesome after-party with family too.
Horror movie marathons. Learning new and obscure words from @way2sharp. Looking back on my 22nd year. My birthday month! Mani-pedi’s with my mom. Visiting My Man on my layover to Sacramento. Four flights in less than 80 hours. Exploring Old Sac Town and finding a lovely Halloween costume. Delicious pre-wedding and wedding food. Too many Shirley Temples. Mucho dancing at said wedding. A very strange pastor at said wedding too… Rehearsals for Thoroughly Modern Millie. A new favorite sushi roll: The Red Dragon.
The abandonment of my ridiculously glitchy Droid in exchange for my new addicting iPhone 4S that quacks at me whenever someone sends me a message… Love it! More chapters added to Alpenglow (this story is my baby if you can’t tell–I’m determined to finish it!). Countless hours spent reading The Book of Mormon, The Emerald Talisman, The Sapphire Talisman, and Everblue. Playing with Siri way too much…
Baking yummy peanut butter cupcakes with a wonderful old friend. Polishing up my full-length script for my grad school app to UCLA. The release of the The House of Night: Destined book. Attending an oddly depressing, yet sometimes beautiful, choir concert with my lava. Seeing the amazing dancing antics of Thriller by Odyssey Dance Company. Better journaling habits, even for my dreams! Becoming obsessed with John Boy and his Nocturnal Circus EP. First YouTube videos posted since August to celebrate Halloween.
One last road trip to Las Vegas, then to LA over Halloween for USC graduate information session with my old baby… and of course, to see My Man! =) Spooktacular story! Soon to be expecting a new baby. Stay tuned for more on that! ;)
* * *
Quite a turbulent month if I may say so! November I may be as broke as blue balls and as busy as a queen bee, but I’m going to try my hardest to enjoy every darn tootin’ second of it.
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Filed under: A Little Me, College, Futuristic Musings, Good Things, Open, Relationships, Religion? What's that?, Roam, Try, Updates
You know those opportunities that you think won’t happen and then they spring up on you, taking you by surprise? How long do you think those last for?
The biggest question may be if you decide to jump at the opportunity or not.
Sometimes there is a little leeway for decision making, other times not so much. Some opportunities require quick-on-your-feet thinking. And if you’re lucky, you can ask for a little time to deliberate.
I feel very lucky. I have had time to do just that before takingthe plunge. I have had the opportunity to separate out logic, emotions, what feels right and what is best for all parties involved. If I didn’t have that, I might have had a meltdown. There are/were a couple big decisions to make.
Now is not the right time to divulge the all of the details, however, though a few in my real life circle are aware of some of the leaps that I’m making. Some of it has been hinted at randomly here (though probably not really noticed). They may be revealed in due course on MikShorty depending on when those decisions truly manifest themselves in my life.
Let’s just say there are not just one, but a couple changes both in progress and soon-to-be. Crazy things… things that I never would have anticipated yet feel right for me. Things that could have really interesting repercussions for people in my life. Some things may be difficult, but those are the kind of things that make us stronger as people and can even strengthen the relationships that matter most.
Can I just say that I’m so grateful those opportunistic windows were open? =)
Are you one to take the plunge? Why or why not?
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Earlier, I came across a pretty interesting website and I figured I could knock out two of my meme topics today! This new website is called 43 Things. It is a goal-oriented website where you can post your goals, read other people’s objectives too and even cheer them on. Seems like a great way to keep track of all the things you want/need to do and even a good way to get support.
So I joined! Gotta keep my eye on the prize. Here are a couple of my goals I’ve posted:
- Learn to cook
- Read the Holy Bible and Book of Mormon (well… finish, that is, since I’ve already started)
- Have a good long-term relationship
- Work and live abroad
- Revise my play
Have you heard of this site before? Do you think a website like this would help you obtain your goals?
And to polish this post off: What are some of your goals? =)
***
Day 01 → Your favorite song
Day 02 → Your favorite movie
Day 03 → Your favorite television program
Day 04 → Your favorite book
Day 05 → Your favorite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy (Fave Things About My Internship)
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy (Somewhere)
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your week, in great detail
Day 27 → This month, in great detail
Day 28 → This year, in great detail
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy
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Filed under: A Little Me, Friends, Futuristic Musings, Music, Singing, Try, Updates
Over the weekend, I decided to post an online audition for NBC’s The Voice (have you voted for my video yet? you should! nay… you need to!). And now I can’t get the idea of going to a physical audition out of my head! It’s like the timing couldn’t be more perfect. It will be right after my internship, so definitely opportune moment worthy.
And why shouldn’t I audition? I definitely think I’m good enough to go the distance, and auditioning for this show could be just the jump-start I need. You never know… I could make it. But then again I might not. The thing is, you never know if you never try. So why not go for it?
Why not? Take a crazy chance.
Why not? Do a crazy dance…
If you lose the moment, you might lose a lot.
So why not?
Sorry my mind was flash-backed to the days where I watched Lizzie McGuire religiously. But yeah, that’s where my mindset is right now. No better time like the present, eh?
The two locations that are closest and that I’d likely be able to make it to are in LA and San Francisco. Picking a location is proving to be the most difficult part. My BFF lives in San Fran and another excellent friend lives in LA. I’ve yet to talk to either of them about this, but I’d rather do that once I’ve made a decision… but how to choose? GAH!
So I hope you’ll “like” my online audition (only 30 seconds long and definitely worth checking out!) while I try to figure out who I can crash with for the real audition. ;)
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Filed under: A Little Me, Dance, Fitness, Futuristic Musings, Good Things, Happy Dance Time, Health, Updates
I cannot even express how excited I am for this weekend… Wanna know why?
This Saturday is my Zumba Fitness certification class from 9-5! So in just a few days, I will be able to teach and lead Zumba classes!
If you don’t know yet, Zumba Fitness is basically one of my favorite things of all time (pronounced Zoomba, not Zuhmba). I’ve been doing it for about… a year and a half now. It’s pretty much like a dance party with latin and ethnic beats that makes you sweat like hippo! (I’m pretending like hippos sweat a lot because I really have no idea…) Doing Zumba is just so fun that you forget that you’re working out!
I’ve been considering getting certified for several months now and this weekend I’ll finally be able to say that I am! It’s pretty funny because in my usual Zumba Fitness class, people who are new often tell me that they look at me when they are a little lost. And all my friends have joined me in the class have urged me to go for it as well… so here I am!
My own Zumba instructor is incredibly supportive and as excited for me as I am. In fact, she’s helping arrange some great opportunities for once I get certified. Which is a fraction of the reason why I’m so excited! We’re going to be instructor buddies and help each other out. She’s just fantastic… I love her!
Plus I also can’t wait to yell, “Shake what your mama gave you!” at the people who take my classes. ;)
Right now, I’m looking at a possibility of around 3 Zumba Fitness instructor opportunities… it’s insane but seriously, I’ll gladly do it. I start one on Tuesday, one is a sub/apprentice-like position with my own Zumba teacher, and the other I’m not sure when it’s going to start yet but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It’s going to be sooo awesome!
(Can you tell I’m sooo excited?!)
Not only will this be a great way to stay active, but it is going to be a blast to spread my love of Zumba and hopefully get a few more people addicted to it’s wonderfulness.
Next step after getting certified is to get my CPR/AED license… After that it should be a rockin’ good time! CanNOT wait!
In fact, I’m doing happy dances all over the place. Literally. I’m getting stares wherever I go. =D
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Filed under: A Little Me, Futuristic Musings, Imagine, Love, Music, Open, Relationships, Remembering, Try
As I’ve done a major clean out of my room over these past few weeks to prepare to sell our house (sad, I know), I have found a few gems from my past. One of them was in a book/diary that told me to write a letter to my future self.
—
Date: December 25, 1999
Dear Mikael,
How my best qualities will help me succeed in life:
Singing will help me become a great singer.
My plans for self-improvement are:
No pushing or pulling on my voice.
My goals for the future are:
Learning to skate better.
When I grow up, I want to be:
A singer, teacher, and professional skater.
When I picture myself in ten years, I see:
A tall, beautiful young woman with dirty blonde hair with the career of a singer.
Sincerely,
Mikael L. Short
My thoughts when I was eleven...
—
Well… it’s about 12.5 years later and I’m pretty sure things have changed and my life isn’t quite as I expected it to be when I was 11 years old (which was quite shallow). Why don’t I rewrite this to suit me and my goals now?
Date: June 5, 2011
Dear Future Me,
How my best qualities will help me succeed in life:
I am a very compassionate person and apparently, that is a rare commodity in itself. I’m told that that will ultimately help me be successful in not only my relationships but my professional life as well. But I also know that I am smart, driven, curious, love learning and take pride in doing a good job which will help professionally. I will leep striving for whatever I want if I’m not there yet in 10 years… I know I can do it and will still work my ass off to get there.
My plans for self-improvement are:
Develop skills that will help me in whichever career path I choose, may it be broadcast journalism or publishing. Until I decide which one to pursue, might as well get as much experience as I can. As far as relationships go, the relationship with myself has never been better so I can only hope that it improves from here. Then for friends/romantic interests, I hope to not be so gullible or to not fall for anyone’s crap. I have a habit of either trusting too quickly or not trusting at all so it’d be nice to find that balance since I know some degree of trust can be crucial to any relationship.
My goals for the future are:
Live/work abroad is a big ambition of mine so I’d love to do that if a better opportunity doesn’t show up. But I’d like to get my foot in the door either in journalism or publishing as that is the kind of career that I would enjoy most. Work my way up from the bottom. I want a good group of friends wherever I may be that can depend on each other and hang out often. Try out a few more guys as I discover what I want in a future partner. I’m still learning what I like and don’t like in the people I spend time with and there’s nothing wrong with that. I want to be able to see/talk to my family a lot still even if I live out of state. Ultimately, I’d like to stay true to me.
When I grow up, I want to be:
Happy with wherever I go with whatever career I may have. I want to have the opportunity to indulge my music passions every once in a while if not often. Hey… you never know. I may break into the music industry and I’d like to keep that door open just in case. ;)
When I picture myself in ten years, I see:
Ten years… so I’ll be 32. I’m pretty sure I’ll still be blonde and tall. I’m already confident but by then I may be even more so (hopefully not cocky though). However, right now I’m unsure of what my future may hold and in ten years, I hope I have a firmer grasp on that. I see myself potentially half-way up the corporate ladder in whichever career I choose. I see myself wanting to have a family and a home. I see myself doing the things I love which will always include music and the stage. And I see myself being more open and knowledgeable of the world and people around me.
Sincerely,
Mikael L. Short
Thoughts of a 23-year-old me...
MikShorty 
