RJ Rambles about the new year

Hey everybody! It's 2022! Buckle in, cause it's gonna be a ride!

I feel kind of guilty, because I know how awful 2021 was for a lot of people, but for me, 2021 was the best year I've had in... well, maybe ever? Working on my game, having the support of you all, seeing everybody's reactions to my story and the love you have for my characters, and meeting so many new friends. There's been some rough times, but 2021 (especially these last few months) is the happiest I've ever been and the only time in my entire life that I've felt successful. 

Look back on 2021

Okay, let's talk about goals. I wanted to go back and look at the goals I made for last year, here in this post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45677406

• Add music to the game - Hey! I did that! People seem to like it too! 
• Get a new video card - I did that one too! Sat in line for a 3070 on a cold February/March morning. I may get another new one this year, who knows? Not only that, but I actually built a whole new computer later in the year! So, above and beyond, I'd say!
• Continue releasing regular updates - I think I did pretty good there as well! Updates have been bigger, so not releasing as quickly as they did in the early days, but I've still added new content regularly. 
• Take better care of my mental health - Hm. I give myself like a middle grade on this one. I still do the same things I was talking about last year - judge myself based on the content I create. It's something I need to continue to work on. However, I do feel like I've gotten to where I don't take it as badly when I see negative comments, and I've gotten into a workflow that allows me more time away from the computer, which is nice. 
• Create a better workspace - Failed pretty hard on this one. Still working at a messy desk in the middle of a cluttered living room. We'll see what happens this year. There's not a lot of ways I can move things around in the living room at the space we're at, so unless I'm able to move, this is what it is. 

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the things I was able to accomplish in 2021 and my life is in such a better position now than it was a year ago. I have health insurance. I'm making enough to live off of. I have a pretty sweet computer setup. I got the game onto Steam! And at the beginning of last year, I had around 50 patrons, while last month I hit 500. That's crazy! You guys are all amazing for supporting me like this. 2021 changed my life in so many good ways and I'm so extremely thankful for it. 

Goals for 2022

I feel like last year, my goals were almost entirely focused on the game. But the game is in a very good place right now, so most of my goals for next year are focused on myself. Still, there are a few goals I have for the game as well. 

Game Goals

• Continue with regular releases - This is an easy one right? I want to continue releasing updates about every 10 weeks or so. Now though, I'll also be releasing DLC in between updates as well. 
• Bring on a second person - This is something that I've thought about for a while. Once I hit a point to where I can live off the money I make here, I want to bring on somebody else to help with some of the rendering and social media stuff. This is going to be a process - finding somebody I gel with well - but it's something that I have on my mind for this upcoming year. Don't get scared about it though. Doesn't mean that the game is going to change or that I'm going to stop working on things personally - just that some things will get done faster and I can stay focused on the important bits. 

Personal Goals

• Improve my Health - As much as some people like to call me a whippersnapper, I don't really feel young. I've spent the last year and a half, mostly sitting at my computer, and have cooked less, which means eating less healthy. I've gained weight, and I've become much more sedentary. This is something I'm really focusing on this year. Since I've been home after Christmas vacation, I've been getting up an our earlier and working out. I'm pretty happy with my routine now, and I've lost 3lbs over the last week. I don't want to go too much into my weight goals, but I have a specific number in mind and I want to look good when I go to the beach later in the year.
  
  In addition to the working out, I'm trying to eat better as well. Watching calorie intake, eating healthier, cutting sugary drinks. I feel like last year I mostly ate okay, but we went out to eat a little too often and portions at restaurants are pretty ridiculous and everything has too much sugar or fat in it. So trying to eat more at home, and if we eat out, I'll at least be aware of the calories I'm eating and try to reduce in other places.
  
  On top of the weight loss, there's some other health issues that I need to take care of, but I haven't been able to, because I live in a country where you basically can't see a doctor unless you have a full-time job. Now, with health insurance, I am able to do those things. I plan on going to see a doctor soon, with a long list of problems with my body and  trying to take care of all of that.
  
  My teeth also! It's been 8 years since I had dental insurance. So 8 years since I've been to the dentist. My teeth aren't horrible or anything - I brush and floss regularly - but I know I have some cavities and I have dental insurance now, so I'm going to be seeing a dentist soon and taking care of all of those issues. 
• Buy a new car - For the last several years, I've been driving a 2003 Ford Ranger. It's a good little truck, but it's not exactly reliable, and requires quite a bit of maintenance. I'm going to keep the truck, but I also want to buy a new car. I'm looking at a Honda Civic hatchback. 
• Improve my credit - 8 years without working, without regular bills, means that when I went to try to buy a car in December last year, I didn't have any credit. I'm working on that already. I have a credit card now, that I'll be paying off at the end of every month, and I'm going to move my cell phone, which is still under my mom's plan, onto my own plan. 
• Move - This is a big goal of mine. My partner and I have been living with another woman for as long as I've known her. The situation has allowed me to focus on myself. It's allowed me to not have a full-time job. I went through a period where I was writing novels, not making any money, and I'm extremely grateful that I was able to spend a few years doing that. If it wasn't for my partner and my roommate, I'd be on the street, or I'd be working a job I hated. So this living situation has been so helpful for me.
  
  But we've hit a point to where I really want to just be with me and my partner, in our own place, hopefully in a different city, possibly a different state. We are going to start seriously looking into that this year. There's other things I need to do before I commit to a big move, and there's a lot of things that I'm looking for in a possible new house (fenced back yard for the dogs, room for my office, room for partner's studio, high-speed internet). So we may not be able to move this year, but it's something that I'm going to try towards. 
• Lego shelf - Okay, those were all big serious things, but here's a little sillier goal that I'm working towards. If you've followed me for a while, you probably know that I love Lego. I'm currently working on a project that's going to be a shelf that hangs above my turtle's aquarium and is going to have a row of connected buildings on it that looks like a city street. I'm also going to light these buildings with LED's, so that I can push a button on the wall next to them and have all the streetlights and windows light up. I'm working on my first building right now, building it from spare Lego that I already have, and I have another building that I bought the set for that's gonna be here soon. I think the shelf is going to have 6 buildings when it's done - probably won't get all six done this year, but gonna get started on it at least!

Conclusion

Okay, that's it! Lots of goals, lots of changes, lots to look forward to. If you've read through all of this, thanks for caring enough about me to spend a few minutes listening to my nonsense lol. I love you all for supporting me and allowing me to do this. I'm looking forward to so many things this year and it's all because of you guys. Back in 2020, my goal was just "Try to make a few bucks on this silly porn game and not die from COVID." Now I'm talking about stuff like buying cars, fixing credit, and moving out. It's pretty crazy.

I love you and hope you have a wonderful week and an amazing 2022!