Ah, another year has come and gone, and like always, I haven’t exactly gotten to all those things I told myself last year I would change or make better in my life. So, in the spirit of new year, new me, I present the five things I will assuredly do my best to change about my habits in the coming new year of 2022!
- Not buying comics I really don’t want just in case they go up in value: FOMO is real, for sure. Basically every week there are a few comics that come out that I have really no interest in reading, but that I feel I just SHOULD buy. Either word of mouth or websites telling me this is the not to be missed book of the week, and I don’t want to regret not getting it weeks later and then not being able to find it because the price has skyrocketed. So at home I just end up with box after box of book that I really have no interest in having or ever reading. So for the new year, I promise myself to only get the books that I really like because of whats on the inside, not because of supposed after market value.
- Not buying books that I no longer enjoy just out of habit or completing: I don’t know how many books I’ve bought that I have lost the interest of reading just because, “Well, I’ve always bought Amazing Spider-man and though I don’t like this run, I’m already 30 issues in and can’t stop now.” The truth is, I can stop now. If I don’t like it, why keep getting it? Replace it with some new books that might catch my fancy more. So, if I keep finding that title on the bottom of my to read pile, it is time to cut it from the list and look for some new book to replace it.
- Not letting my comics pile up for months and months at home without processing them and putting them away in nice boxes: it never fails. I’m so excited to get my books every week, and then I get them home and they just sit around for weeks, all loose and getting messed up. And the longer it takes, the harder it is to get them all in order and nicely put away. So, this year I am going to invest in plenty of all the supplies I need, like bags and boards, BCW bins and short boxes, toploaders and such, and get my books put away as soon as they are home and read!
- Not letting my subscriptions pile up at the shop: I know, I know. I work here, there is no way that I should be letting my subscriptions linger in their box waiting to go home. But, it happens to all of us sometimes. The last year has been so busy and there is so much on everybody’s mind, it can be hard to get out to the shop sometimes to pick up your books. But it is something that absolutely must be done. At the very least, choose a date in the month and make sure that at least once a month you get out to pick up your subscriptions!
- Lastly, just to take the time to appreciate my comics and set aside the time to read them and really take them in. As I have said, with the crazy last two years, it’s been hard to turn the brain off from thinking about all the things that have to be taken care of and all the worries of the world and take time out to enjoy a comic. It’s another reason my books have been piling up at home without being put in bags and boards: they haven’t been read yet! I find myself just watching the same old shows or just doing nothing but sitting because I can’t relax and just enjoy reading a comic. So, this year, let’s all take some time for ourselves, put everything else away, and pull out a comic and escape for a bit.
