Samurai homework, last week and next

Yesterday was week #2 of my new Samurai acting "thing" (at freaking 7 a.m. each Wednesday morning).

Each week, we have "homework" (like any acting class, but different).

Here was last week's homework:

1. Pull together all my notes from the last several months for my "Project X", put those into episodes (ooh, another clue!) so that every one is outlined (if not written), and I know where the gaps are.
2. Raise my standards for the next 5 weeks. I need to come up with what I will do to explicitly accomplish a list of things that are more and bigger accomplishments than I have ever done creatively in a 5 week period.
3. Write down a list of patterns I have that stop me from getting stuff done.

Here's how I did on stuff:

"Project X":

I so exceeded this, and I am re-energized about the project. I pulled stuff together, and found I had around 27 episodes, and they're all now outlined, and some are fully written. In addition, I wrote treatments for three new episodes, and created a framework for the entire project, and got a lot of that filled in (budget, resources, marketing/distribution needs, etc.). I am stoked to get booking on this again.

What I'm going to get done in the next 5 weeks:

Here's my list; clearly, I'm insane.

1. Be less careful
2. Wall in my home office / studio
3. Set up my audio studio equipment
4. Set up "Project X" Website (main)
5. Set up "Project X" Website (process/fan)
6. Complete the trailer and 3 episodes of "Project X" (write, storyboard, VO, shoot, post-production, and distribution)
7. Do something new and exciting in my toy job career
8. Write formal treatments for all of my projects (12)
9. Write treatment for an idea I’ve been avoiding
10. Write and perform stand-up during an open mic night
11. Finish another run of demo CD business cards
12. Add "Tools" section for my Website
13. Redo my Website
14. Read the Game Producers Handbook
15. Write more features analyzing the game industry
16. Write letters of recommendation for everyone that’s worked for me, I’ve worked for, and worked with
17. Write my video game proposal
18. Write a business plan for a new endeavor about which I'm thinking
19. Install and compile sample games with XNA game studio
20. Spend more time with family
21. Run three times a week
22. Go fishing (fly fishing)
23. Install ceiling fans throughout my house
24. Do some rewiring in my house
25. Clean out my garage and organize my office and utility room
26. Get a new dishwasher, since the built in blows chunks (literally)

Patterns in which I'm stuck:

1. My need to be right
2. My need to get it right
3. My need to be careful
4. Doing things on my own, and not asking for help
5. Being cut off from my heart
6. Toy job commitments
7. Laziness/Procrastination
8. Multi-tasking is costing my focus on things that may require focus
9. Lack of sleep
10. Am I doing too much?
11. Am I giving up the right things?
12. Caffeine?
13. Guilt about what I’m not getting done

For this week's homework, I'm supposed to do a couple of things:

1. Keep adding to our "Things to get done list"
2. Spend more time on my craft than I spent last week, and document it to share next week.

#2 is hard for me, because I try to spend 40 hours a week on acting and related stuff, in addition to my full-time toy job. This is already a struggle, and with other recent life happenings, I think my showing next week is really going to suck.

But whatever -- it is what it is.