This post is a continuation of a blog entry from last year in which I detailed my four professional goals for 2024. The inspiration for the original post came from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s audiobook “Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life”. Writing down my objectives was a therapeutic process that helped me finalise the road to achieving my “vision”.
2024 was a year in which I grew massively as a creator. Instead of shutting myself away in a dark corner making content, I tried to reach out, analyse my faults and work on improving. Things didn’t grow as much as I wanted, but the twelve months of building a foundation stood me in good stead for the following year. I achieved this despite personal tragedy, mental health issues and moments of unexpected disruption.
like last year, I want to keep these public goals strictly to the professional side of my life, as I like to maintain a small level of privacy. Like a lot of people, I am always battling with things you can’t see.
Focus on Quality
When I was in my 20s, I was incredibly impatient. I aimed to produce as much content as possible quickly, to maximise my chances of success. This is an approach I can trace back to my SouthWaves Radio days, where I developed a factory-like content creation process to make sure schedules were filled without fuss.
I still stand by the principles, such as breaking down areas of content to reduce production time, but the focus shouldn’t be on how many productions I can squeeze into the time I saved. By dedicating the time saved to expanding research and pre-production, the likelihood of producing a high-quality product is significantly increased.
This approach will also be applied to social media. I will be aiming to use the tools at my disposal to achieve a greater amount of engagement. Images will be included with most posts, and SEO-increasing links used when applicable. Hopefully the focus on quality will lead to a pleasing upturn.
Look Ahead, Not Back
I’ve always had a problem letting the past go, I refer to it almost every day at some point. In the last few years, I’ve managed to turn my memory into a strength and increase how relatable my content is. In moments of creative pressure, though, I have relied too much on my past work.
Whenever I began to find it difficult to keep up with demand, I would dip into my archive and put something up. It was a lazy habit which kept things afloat at first, but it started to stall when done too often. The problem was the lack of a consistent plan and a too-relaxed attitude towards content creation.
I plan to batch-produce content at least two weeks in advance and keep up a constant schedule. The only time I shall use a part of my archive is to refer to it or to add something extra.
For example: I interviewed the legendary Jackie Lynton in 2022 for The Quo-Cast, but it was only used as part of a 2 hour special. My plan is to share my memory of talking to him in a new clip, and then play the interview. I’m not just using it verbatim, I’m attempting to add some new perspective to the piece. This, I believe, is the way forward.
Set Aside Time for Side Projects
Given the plan to batch-produce content consistently, this third one should be easy; I won’t hold my breath though! In addition to my work on The Quo-Cast, Old Time Review and Vintage Animation Millennial, there are several projects, which I’d like to look at. As a self-employed content creator, it always pays to explore other avenues, in case there is a revenue opportunity I am missing. There is also the personal satisfaction and curiosity that comes with such ventures.
I have ambitions to dabble in book publishing this year, firstly with a new edition of my book Tommy Stanley’s Secondary School Adventure. I published the book ten years ago, but have always felt I didn’t do a great job with it. It will start what I hope is a bustling line of eBooks and paperback releases.
There is also a want to pursue research projects, such as my desire to dig deep into Television South (TVS). I have doubts about this project ever getting off the ground, given the ferocity of my creative workload, but I can dream!
Making time for other things also depends greatly on my mental health. I have made great strides in working towards a better state, but there are still times when things get a bit much. I plan to work out more, get outside and alternate a balance between creating basic and complex works.
So there you have it; My three professional goals for 2025! I would like to add a little more here about some of my plans for my content in 2025.
A Little Bit More!
THE QUO-CAST: I would like to continue to grow The Quo-Cast on YouTube, successfully getting it to 1000 subscribers by May this year. I want to continue to release two episodes a week and encourage even greater engagement on social media platforms. I will also be trying to aim for at least one interview a month.
VINTAGE ANIMATION MILLENNIAL: In the same vein as my Status Quo podcast, I shall be aiming to grow an audience by uploading consistently to YouTube. I will be focusing on discussion, unboxing, hauls and interviews.
JAMIE DYER YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Not so much a priority. I shall be aiming for at least one quality video per month. It isn’t so much about growing the channel, but more about keeping it afloat as a backup.
OLD TIME REVIEW: My wife and I shall be focusing on providing quality written content to this website, and slowly growing our audience through social media engagement. I will be setting aside specific times to write reviews.
My Personal Website: I have neglected this website for far too long. I plan to write at least one blog post per week, opening up about work and reacting to topical media news. Each post will be at least 1000 to 2500 words in length. This will ensure decent SEO and an increase in personal writing practice.
I did discuss last year about a possible return to presenting radio, but I have decided not to pursue that anymore. The industry has changed dramatically in the last decade, and my heart isn’t in it anymore. I’d rather focus my energy on things that work for me than chase something which has let me down more times than I care to remember!
Thanks for reading! Whatever you plan to do in 2025, I wish you all the best.
PS: I’m posting this blog in March as I have struggled to keep up with work! Consider this writing as a jumping-off point for the rest of the year. Onwards and upwards!
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