So we’re hitting that mid point in January now where we pause for a second and look back to see how we’re doing with the myriad of new life changing resolutions we resolved to follow a few weeks prior. If you’re anything like me you’re probably starting to realise that maybe you took on a bit much too soon? Personally I’m finding that waking up (WAY) earlier and eating salad for dinner is not really helping with me being super productive with my designs… I’m just tired all the time… and really hungry.

But don’t worry, it’s cool – this is where we can all sit back and chill for a moment whilst we decide on what resolutions are really the ones we need to be sticking to. Once we get the important ones nailed down and firmly fixed into the ol’routine, we can take another look at those salads.

This year a lot of my resolutions have been based (as you might imagine) around my design work and my business, so what I’ve decided to do with this article is to reach out to a few designers that I admire and see what kind of resolutions they’ve been implementing around their design businesses for 2013.

Jessica Hische

A few resolutions of mine:

1. Try to document all of the people that I meet this year in one way or another.
2. Finally release a couple of the half-complete typefaces I’ve been working on.
3. Drink more water.

Aaron Draplin – Draplin Design Co

Here’s a nasty little list:

01. Gonna make a little less shit for other people.
02. Gonna make more shit for the DDC.
03. Gonna eat breakfast each morning. Just something little.
04. Gonna go wherever they’ll have me.
05. Gonna fight, scratch to continue to get away with this stuff.
06. Gonna update the DDC merch store. Gotta get official.
07. Gonna tune a guitar to open five-string tuning, like Keef.
08. Gonna listen to more Stones and Zeppelin.
09. Gonna move my girth a bit more. Less sedentary living, etc.
10. Gonna make a DDC handkerchief set. Snot rags. Blood clean-up.
11. Gonna roll the dice in the shop more with Nakamoto.
12. Gonna see my parents as much as I can.
13. Gonna see my nephew Oliver as much as I can.
14. Gonna be the best boyfren to Leigh I can. I’m tryin’, sweetie.
15. Gonna do my damnedest to make it to 40 this October. Hard to say.

Alex Singleton (me!) – Hunting Town Design House

So this year I have two major goals; to earn enough to get a deposit for a new home, and to spend more time on some of my own personal projects. What I’ve decided to do (seeing as I’m smart like a Fox) is combine the two and try and challenge myself to earn a big chunk of my deposit through my side projects. My fiancée is doing something similar this year as well so we’re going to race to see who can earn the most cash outside of their full time jobs before the end of 2013. The winner gets full control of the spare room. I’m really excited about it and I have a tonne of sweet ideas in the pipeline. If you’re interested, you can follow out progress at http://depositchallenge.tumblr.com/

Mark Brickey – Hero Design Studio

“Don’t let the world around you, Control the world inside of you” -Farside

The above lyric is going to be my design motto in 2013. I’m going to try and fight like hell to live within my own internal check-list of dream projects. I’m not going to worry about who’s going to hire us next or what we’ll do when the current project wraps up. I’m going to use all of my energy to enjoy the quiet spots in the schedule. To embrace the internal Hero projects and know that my best work, is the work that I do for myself, and that doing your best work always creates bigger and better opportunities.

Jeff Finley – Go Media

· Boost my breakdance training to twice per week

· release a demo with my new band Campfire Conspiracy

· Organize/declutter my house

· Write a kick ass new tutorial for GoMediaZine.com

· Pull off the 4th annual Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, hope to pull in 2,000+ attendees

· Keep better records and metrics for each of Go Media’s websites including Mockup Everything, Proof Lab, Arsenal, On the Map, and WMC Fest

· Redesign threadsnotdead.com and track the conversions more accurately and optimize it

· Continually try to live in the present and appreciate what I have.

· Go on a quiet vacation with my wife.

Brent Galloway

My new year resolutions as a freelance graphic designer is to grow my connections, make reliable client relationships, and make the time to work on my own personal projects.

With the redesign of my website, I want to write more meaningful content – I want to share my experiences and process for anyone that’s interested in reading it.

Finally, I hope to get out more. I’d love to make it out to a design event such as WMC Fest, or maybe just to meet some like-minded creatives.

Preston Lee – Graphic Design Blender

For the new year, I plan to provide some insanely useful new content for my readers: both video and written. As for my personal design business, I plan to find a handful of steady clients that will need work done each month so I can ensure a more expected and steady income. I also want to really rock responsive this year.

Billy Baumann – Delicious Design League

Our New Year’s Design Resolution would be to finally get our new website launched. I’ve been working on and off on our new branding since 2011 and we’re finally ready to roll it out with a finished website – well, most of it at least.

Erik Marinovich

My resolution this year is to make a large scale lettering piece. I’m not saying ‘big’ as if only viewable by satellite but ‘big’ like a gallery wall or the side of a building.

Mark Brickey & Billy Baumann – Adventures in Design Podcast

My 2013 New Year’s Resolutions for Adventures In Design

To Keep On, Keeping On!

The first year was such a wild ride, that totally blew away any expectations that I had for the podcast. Every time we create as artist, we have a dream of how far a project could go, and so far this project has taken off like a rocket ship, now orbiting where I thought it would be. So for 2013 I just want to keep pushing it, more guests, more live shows/appearances, more harassing telemarketers! Also, in between episodes of our show, by the means of our blog, we want to offer daily inspiration and conversation… Lastly, I want to get to know more people! Year one of AID brought so many new people into my virtual and real world. I can’t wait to meet even more people while living in California, traveling to Hero shows and making live AID appearances. I love the Circle of Trust, and do not take for granted what we have only started to create… A DESIGN GANG!!

John Vogl – The Bunglaoo

2012 was a tough year with a death of a close friend, a painful breakup, and dealing with some depression. Working through it reminded me of why I do what I do; I love it, and I’m fortunate to make a living doing it. At the same time, life is all about balance, and I want to focus on working smarter not harder. I plan to make 2013 all about enjoying my life outside of work, as much as I do my life in my work.

James Flames

Working for myself, and being my own boss, I think the natural inclination is to become comfortable with my own inner boss/worker relationship – arriving at decisions and solutions more quickly based on what may have happened previously. Which is fine. Efficiency is great. But I kinda wanna make sure that the boss side of me becomes more and more of a tougher boss, not an easier one. “Do it again, this time the right way!” will only serve me better than, “They loved it before, so they’ll love it this time – it’s fine as-is!”.

That said, I also need to take a few more breaks to have more human interaction, cuz this whole inner boss/worker relationship and dialogue could turn into a serious mental illness if I’m not careful, hahaha.

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