Hey guys. Willie here from Roadtrip Nation. Welcome back to our YouTube channel, and
happy 2021. Wow, feels good to say that, because 2020 was...
that was a year, wasn't it? I think a lot of us are hoping for a fresh start in 2021, so
if you're looking for a way to kick this year off on the right foot, this video is for you, because
today we're talking about intention setting. Where are you hoping to focus your attention in 2021 and
what kind of changes are you hoping to make? Do you want to shake your imposter syndrome and leave
2021 feeling more confident? Well then here are five intentions that you can set for this year.
Number one: say yes more often. Try saying yes to things even if you feel unprepared for them.
"Three of my heroes called me to ask me to join them for an expedition and they were like,
'But we need you to film the trip. It's a National Geographic trip and
we need you to film it.' And I was like, 'Well, I would love to do it, but I've
never picked up a camera before.' And they were like, 'No problem. You'll figure it out.' I read
like the instruction manual on the airplane and literally that was my first time filming,
and I filmed a one-hour documentary for National Geographic, you know, over a course of two months.
Commit and then figure it out, because you can't get anywhere unless you commit to something."
Number two: connect with your community. If 2020 left you feeling isolated, just know that you're
not alone. But if you want that to change, then make an intention to prioritize community in 2021.
There are plenty of ways to do this in covid-safe ways. You can reach out to people that you haven't
reached out to in a while and schedule Zoom hangs, or get involved in a cause that you care about.
Through that you can meet people who share common interests and viewpoints.
Just find ways to stay connected to others.
This is a piece of advice that actor Tony Hale actually gave us when we got to speak with him...
"A huge thing that I always encourage people do is you have to have a solid community around you. You
have to have a support system, because there's times when you are just doubting yourself. When
you're frustrated. When you, I mean... in this business you've had so much rejection.
Just like, people are just constantly beating you down. Just to have friends that are like,
'You know what? Just keep going. Just keep walking.' You know? And then if you have...
they're true friends if it does after a year and a half nothing's progressing,
true friends will be like, 'You know, well, let's talk about some other options.' You know? But,
but there's still a support there. And you have to have a support system or you
will just be eaten alive because it's all about relationships. Like, life is about relationships."
Number three: get your ideas down on paper. Are you hoping to harness the power of your creativity
more in 2021? Keep an ideas journal or a list of voice memos, and no matter how silly or random,
just don't lose track of the thoughts and ideas that you have when inspiration hits.
Those little ideas could evolve to your next great song, short story, or side project. Ben Burtt,
the legendary sound designer for big movies like Star Wars, he uses this technique all the time.
"I have notebooks filled - I call them idea books - just things I jot down all the time. And I've
been doing that since high school. I keep a little recorder around here. I always have found that
sometimes there's something percolating there under the surface, and I need to capture that
moment and save it, and, uh, because it might be very useful later. And they have been. I go to the
convenience store to make a purchase and I hear a funny fan in a refrigerator there, I have to
go out to the car, get my recorder, bring it back, turn it on, put it in the refrigerator,
close the door, and then pretend to shop for a few minutes, and I've got this great
refrigerator motor recording. It becomes a force field in Star Trek later, you know?"
Number four: dream big. Do you feel like 2021 is your year for growth?
The year that you're gonna make an impact? Well, you should. Set an intention to dream big like
that. Listen to your heart. Set aside some time to just forget about that logical, responsible side
of your mind, and spend a few minutes dreaming without restraint and just see what comes up.
"We have the saying here 'let's aim for making something 10 times better,
or 10 times faster, rather than aiming for 10 percent.' Because when we're audacious like that,
right, when we have a really big goal, that seems, like, unachievable,
we actually end up getting further than if we set a goal that we can achieve, like, really easily.
And number five: keep moving forward. We're still stuck
in a global pandemic and it's okay to prioritize rest and recovery. You know? Be kind to yourself
and remember that small incremental growth is still growth. One of the people that we met,
Keana McGee, went from being the first in her family to graduate from college to running
global creative marketing at Netflix. And how did she get there? She just kept going.
"It's basically like feeling around for a ladder in the dark, right?
Like, you can't see ahead of yourself because there's... there's not a lot of light, right? So,
I mean, I would probably say like, 'right foot, left foot girl.' Just keep moving.
Like, you know what you're trying to do, and just keep going forward. And
some of those steps will be big, and some of them will be small, and that's okay."
So, why are we so into intention setting this year? It's because it worked for us!
Last year we set a goal to start a podcast and we did it! Our podcast "Roadmap" shares the best
stories and wisdom from all these decades that we've been out on the road, and it's hosted by me,
Willie. Hello. (chuckle) And this week we released a best-of episode that combines all the best
nuggets of advice from 2020 into one epic insights packed episode. So, if you're
looking for even more inspiration for setting your 2021 intentions I hope you'll give it a listen.