It’s only eight days into 2026, and I’ve already broken my first New Year’s resolution.
My original plan for the videos on this newsletter was to focus on batch recording. I wanted to get ahead of the schedule so I could spend more time on the edit, making these videos look and feel much more professional than what I’ve been putting out.
But this week, I had to stop and ask myself a hard question: Why am I doing this?
Am I doing this because I want to be a professional YouTuber or a “Substack guy”?
Am I doing it to be a successful podcaster?
Or am I doing all of this so people will actually read the comics I create?
If the primary goal is getting the work in front of readers, then I need to focus on the things that actually achieve that.
Right now, that means focusing on fulfillment—getting physical comics into the hands of the people who bought them.
So, this week, let’s talk about New Year’s resolutions and why it’s actually okay to break them sometimes.
Systems, Not Results
Like most of you, I started the year with a list of resolutions. The first one to fall was that batch recording goal.
I’ve been consistent for years—posting every Wednesday—but the quality hasn’t always been where I want it. My hope for 2026 was to raise the quality while maintaining that consistency. Instead, consistency has completely cannibalized quality this week.
I’m writing this mere hours before it needs to be posted. I even gave myself an extra day, and I’m still chasing the clock. That’s exactly what I wanted to avoid.
But here is the key when building resolutions: Focus on systems, not results.
The point of a system is that you eventually reach your goal simply by keeping the machine running. I’ve successfully implemented this with my comic fulfillment.
There are “pillars” of that system I can’t control—tariffs, border delays, shipping companies—but I can control my part. I can make sure my internal system moves successfully from pillar to pillar. This week, that had to be my priority.
Focusing on What’s Important
As much as I want these videos to be a slick representation of what I’m capable of, the most important thing is the business of comics.
Getting books to people is the priority.
Just because I failed my resolution for the very first video of the year doesn’t mean I’m throwing the resolution out. The plan is still to move toward batch recording and high-production videos for 2026. It’s just going to take a little longer to implement than I hoped.
I had to choose between “slick video” and “shipped comics.” I chose the comics.
Don’t Give Up
If you’ve already broken a resolution this year, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means you had a misstep.
You can start over. You can keep trying.
If you went to the gym and had a bad session—or missed a day when you planned to go five times a week—just go tomorrow. It’s okay.
You can put systems in place that make you successful regardless of the arbitrary timeline you set for yourself on January 1st.
Just Finish
I’m keeping today’s post brief for a reason: Sometimes, just doing the thing is enough.
I don’t believe that’s true for everything. If you’re asking people for money for a comic, you should deliver the best possible version of that book. You shouldn’t ship it just because it’s “done”; you ship it because it’s ready.
But for resolutions like going to the gym? Showing up is half the battle.
Just do it. Go to the gym, walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes, and go home.
Is that a “perfect” workout? Will it build massive muscles? No. But it kept the system alive. It made it easier for the next step to happen.
That’s what this post is. It’s not the one I planned, but it’s something for you to enjoy. I’m sticking to the system of weekly updates. I’ll be back on track next week with the “slick” stuff, but for now, I’m getting back to fulfillment.
Snip #1-2
Crimson Frontier 1 & 2
Naked Kaiju Woman #3 & 4
Prime Cut #1-2
The Super Secret Epilogue
Happy 2026. This definitely wasn’t the post I planned.
I was actually working on a deep dive into the Indie Comic Trends of 2026. I had the script ready, but every time I tried to record it, it just wasn’t “slick” enough. I didn’t want to put out a sub-par version of a topic I care about, but I also didn’t want to stay silent.
I’ll be honest: I found myself a bit overwhelmed this week.
I’m currently fulfilling Naked Kaiju Woman #2 while simultaneously prepping Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 2. I’m working with authors, editing stories, and getting files print-ready for BookVault. I’m even tackling audiobooks, which is a whole different challenge.
When you take people’s money, you have a responsibility. I take it very seriously. Whether it’s navigating weird customs issues (I’m looking at you, Ireland) or switching shippers to make sure books actually arrive, that has to come first.
The boxes behind me are begging to be packed, so I’m keeping this brief.
It’s a lot at once, and this video was the “victim” of that schedule, but we’re just getting started.
Thanks for being here. We’ll talk next week.
