3 New Year’s Resolutions a Voice Actor Should Make

Now that 2015 is officially over, it’s time to move full-speed ahead in 2016. It’s a new year, and that means a new start for most people - that’s why people make resolutions, after all! With that in mind, here are 3 resolutions that I think every voice actor should make for 2016.

1.    Find a good work-life balance. Focusing on your career is important, definitely. But so is focusing on your family and friends and other things in life that bring you joy. When you’re solely focused on just one aspect of life, whether it be work or personal life, the other one is compromised. Don’t do that to yourself. Find a way to divide your time more equally between the two, as both are important elements of a happy, balanced life.

2.    Devote some time to professional development. Everyone has room for improvement, so spend some time working on developing your skills this year. Personal and professional growth is the key to advancing your career, so do some research to find classes, workshops, or conferences that you believe will help you. Be open to learning new things, and practice this in your daily life - you may be surprised at the positive impact it can have on your voice over career.

3.    Take better care of your body. This is a resolution that is so common, it’s almost cliche. Eat right, hit the gym, etc. And while most of the folks making this resolution aren’t voice over actors and are doing it mainly for aesthetic reasons (achieving a six-pack is pretty important, right?), taking proper care of your body can do wonders for your voice over work. For instance, increasing your water intake and avoiding tobacco and alcohol can dramatically impact your sound. Expanding your lung capacity and improving breathe control. Maintaining a healthy weight and eating nutritious foods can have the same physical effects, too. And this is nothing to say of the mental boost that feeling good physically can create.

These are the resolutions that I believe would benefit every VO actor, as well as people working in other professions. What do you think? What are your New Year’s resolutions?