Reflect. Reset. Resolve. (Recap: December)

Whether you're reading this with champagne in hand, nursing a New Year's Day hangover, or somewhere in that hazy in-between—welcome. You made it through another year in one of the most unpredictable industries on the planet.

And what a year!

If 2023 was "we're pulling the plug on everything" and 2024 was "wait, why is nothing happening?" then 2025 was "maybe we should hit the Reset button."

But what does "Reset" actually mean? We're not talking "back to normal" (we know from history that's not possible — or healthy). Time moves forward (at least in our current reality) and very little is actually in our control (in fact, some ancient Greeks would argue that we're all just puppets in a great, cosmic play).

And yet—puppets or not—everyone spent this year grabbing for the strings.

2025 was a fight over control.

Who controls studios. Who controls distribution. Who controls your image. And—most importantly for you—what you can control in all the chaos.

And look—I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that 2025 was heavy beyond just industry news. The devastating LA fires in January. Ongoing wars. Global uncertainty that made "should I keep pursuing this career?" feel like an even more loaded (and trivial) question than usual. If you're reading this and you kept going anyway—kept creating, kept auditioning, kept believing this matters—that's its own kind of resilience.

The truth is: this does matter. Especially in times of uncertainty and destruction, creating is a form of revolution and a path to healing.

So, if we're not "going back," where do we go from here?

Reflect

For years, Hollywood's strategy has been: find IP, exploit IP, repeat until audiences stop showing up. In 2025, audiences called that bluff (again). Original films like Ryan Coogler's vampire epic Sinners and audience-fave Weapons (aka "what in Pennywise's grandmother is happening?") proved that fresh ideas (and great performances) still pack theaters. Every time an original succeeds, it paves the way for other opportunities. The slate for 2026 may still be packed with sequels and blockbusters (and, let's be honest, we're excited), but audiences keep proving those aren't the only stories they want.

Meanwhile, the post-strike contracts started showing some results. Streaming bonuses actually triggered for hit shows—real backend money reaching writers and actors for the first time. SAG-AFTRA ratified its first-ever intimacy coordinator contract. And in October, the union launched a Verticals Agreement—a contract specifically for those addictive micro-dramas like Pregnant by My Ex's Professor Dad? that China pioneered and have quietly become an $819 million market in the US (projected to hit $3.8 billion by 2030). Lead actors earn $300–$1,000 a day, some are supporting themselves entirely on verticals work, and now they can do it union.

And then there's AI.

Here's the thing: 2025 didn't deliver a Skynet takeover. Hell, James Cameron—yes, the guy who made Terminator—banned generative AI from Avatar: Fire and Ash, insisting "we honor actors, we don't replace them." Guillermo del Toro said he'd "rather die" than use AI in his films. Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) joked he wanted to "organize a military squad to destroy AI." And in December, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Kwan, and Natasha Lyonne launched the Creators Coalition on AI to push for ethical standards and creator protections. Even AI-generated "actress" Tilly Norwood had doors shut in her "face." Emily Blunt called it "really scary." Melissa Barrera told actors to drop any agent who signs her (Gersh and WME publicly refused to represent her). SAG-AFTRA said "Tilly Norwood is not an actor." Let's just say that the red carpet was not rolled out.

This doesn't mean AI is going away—Disney just invested $1 billion in OpenAI. But, the technology itself isn't the villain; it's about how it's used, who profits, and whether creators have a seat at the table. AI is a very complicated conversation, and it's going to take time to get it right. But 2025 showed that pushback works, that coalitions can form quickly, and that "inevitable" is more negotiable than the tech evangelists want you to believe. Your craft still matters. People are fighting to make sure it stays that way.

The goal isn't to stop the future—it's to make sure you're still in it.

Reset

So what do we do with all of this?

First, we let go of some things that aren't serving us anymore.

Let go of the idea that there's one path. The traditional trajectory—agent, audition, booking, repeat—still exists, but it's not the only game anymore. Actors are supporting themselves on verticals. Filmmakers are finding distribution through platforms that didn't exist five years ago. The creator economy hit $224 billion this year, with payments to creators up 79% from 2024. This isn't a side hustle—it's a parallel industry. You don't have to pick one lane.

Let go of waiting to be chosen. The gatekeepers are still there, but they're not the only ones with keys anymore. The tools to create, distribute, and monetize your work are more accessible than they've ever been. That doesn't mean it's easy—it means the excuse of "no one will let me" is harder to justify. The people breaking through in 2025 weren't waiting for permission. They were making.

Let go of the assumption that stability is coming back. Peak TV is over. The streaming gold rush has cooled. Studios are making fewer shows with smaller budgets. The Netflix-Warner merger (if it happens) will reshape the landscape again. This isn't a rough patch before things return to "normal"—this is the new terrain. The sooner you stop waiting for the industry you imagined and start navigating the one that exists, the better positioned you'll be.

Let go of the idea that technology is only a threat. Yes, AI is a valid and complex concern, and the fights over it are far from settled. But 2025 also showed that the same tools (glitches and all) can work for you—AI-assisted self-tapes, micro-budget VFX for indie projects, algorithms that can surface your short film to exactly the right audience. The question isn't whether to engage with new technology. It's whether you'll shape how it's used or let someone else decide for you.

Here's the truth: the industry is resetting whether you're ready or not. The question is whether you'll reset with it—eyes open, assumptions cleared, ready to build in the world that actually exists.

Resolve

"Sustainable success isn't about perfection in the slightest, or a magic bullet, no. It's about a system of getting better one day at a time, with a humble attitude, and not beating ourselves up in the process."

Re-read that as many times as you like. Write it down so you can come back to it over and over. That's what I did when I heard it earlier this year on this episode of the Growth Mindset Psychology Podcast by Sam Webster Harris.

Whether or not you believe in New Year's Resolutions, I challenge you to resolve to do this one thing: be a better version of yourself than you were the day before.

That might sound like a daunting task, but I promise you it's simpler than you think.

Do any of these on any given day:

-Read a chapter of a book

-Listen to an episode of a podcast

-Do ten push-ups

-Audit a class

-Wake up early and watch the sunrise

-Follow trade publications

-Run a scene with a friend just for fun

-Go see a play

These are all relatively small actions you can take with minimal effort.

And each one of these makes you better the moment you do them.

And there's many more like them.

I know what you're thinking: "But how does doing only ten push-ups make me better if I don't have big biceps yet?"

Because you literally used your muscles. Because you took action. Because your intention shifted.

It's not about the end result. It never is. It can't be.

It's about using each day to take a step (however small) in the direction you want to go.

Focus Exercise

If you've read this far, that means something.

So, I want you to take one of those steps we just talked about.

Take 15 minutes today (right now if you're able) to be a better version of yourself than you were just moments before.

Step 1: Reflect (5 minutes)

Grab a pen and paper. Set a timer. Answer these three questions without overthinking:

• What's one thing I created this year—finished or not, good or not?

• What's one thing I wanted to do but didn't? (No guilt—just notice it.)

• What's one thing that drained my energy more than it should have?

First thing that pops into mind. Don't write essays. A few words each is fine.

Step 2: Reset (5 minutes)

Now reset your thinking:

• You made something. That's proof you can do it. So what's stopping you from doing it again—or doing something bigger? Name one creative risk you're ready to take this year. Not "I want to be more creative"—something specific. The pilot you've been outlining in your head for two years. The type of role you've never auditioned for. The short film you keep talking about but haven't shot.

• Something got in the way. Was it time? Fear? A skill you don't have yet? Name the real obstacle—not the excuse, the actual thing. Maybe it's self-tapes. Maybe it's understanding contracts. Maybe it's learning to take feedback without spiraling. What's one thing you need to learn or get better at this year?

• Something drained you. Why did you let it? Obligation? Guilt? A boundary you never set? Name one thing you need to protect this year—your time, your rates, your mental health, your definition of success. Name it so you can defend it.

Step 3: Resolve (5 minutes)

For each of those three intentions, write down the smallest possible next step—something so small you could do it tomorrow.

• Not "write the script." Maybe: Open a new document and write one scene, even if it's bad.

• Not "get better at self-tapes." Maybe: Buy a new backdrop or sign up for a class.

• Not "set better boundaries." Maybe: Write down the exact sentence you'll say next time someone asks you to work for free.

That's it. Three small steps.

And here's the secret: once you've done them, find the next small step. And the next.

That's how you become a better version of yourself than you were the day before—not through massive transformation, but through showing up, again and again, one tiny action at a time.

What did you think of the exercise?

I would truly love to hear what this brought up for you.

If you want to share and reflect together:

Let's set up a time to chat.

Remember: Momentum matters more than perfection. You're not trying to change your life in fifteen minutes—you're trying to point yourself in a direction and start walking.

"The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus."

-Bruce Lee

Here's to 2026.

Happy New Year.

#stayfocused