2025: F$%& Them Goals!
Reframing career milestones as part of a larger journey
Before diving into this week’s newsletter, I want to take a moment to acknowledge everyone in the Los Angeles area impacted by the recent fires. It’s been a devastating start to the year for so many, and my thoughts are with all of you navigating these challenges. If you know of any GoFundMe campaigns, organizations, or initiatives that could use more visibility, please reach out to me. I’d be happy to share them and use this platform to help in any way I can.
Now, back to the newsletter…
I came into 2025 ready to roll.
After taking a two-week winter break, with Adobe giving employees a full week off and me adding a little extra, I came back completely recharged. Two weeks away from my computer had me feeling unstoppable. I’d laid out my goals, drafted my resolutions, and returned to work firing on all cylinders. Monday morning, I hit the ground running. Woke up without checking my phone? Easy peasy. Meetings with my team to set clear goals? Yep. Veggies and fruit for lunch? Boom. Checkmarks flying off my to-do list. I was crushing it.
Tuesday morning, I’m up at 5 a.m. and crushing it with octogenarians at my local YMCA. By 6:30, I’m home, sweaty but ready to make breakfast for the kids and get them set for their day. And then it starts…there’s no hot water.
I head down to the basement of our newly purchased, 1906 house, thinking, “Maybe it’s just the pilot light?” I don’t even fully understand what that means, but I’m optimistic I can just light a match and point at something and get everything rolling.
What I find is far worse: two inches of water across the floor and water gushing out of the heater. Call my dad, he helps turn off the water because I doubt pointing at match at this will solve the problem.
I go back upstairs boil some pots for a Little House on the Prarie-style washing, get the kids to school, and get a plumber on the phone. Crisis managed!
Just as I’m getting back on track, the school calls: my kid is sick. Lethargic on the playground. That’s never good. I drop everything, pick him up, and head home. Now, it’s day two of my big, productive 2025. My neatly laid plans? Evaporating before my eyes.
By day three, the plumber’s in and out of the house, the kid’s still home sick, and unexpected work stress is piling up and the to-do list is growing. And let’s not even talk about how much a new water heater costs. That night, I let out a guttural, frustrated grunt, thinking I was alone.
My wife overheard, and there’s nothing quite like the humbling experience of realizing someone just caught you at your most ridiculous.
Ezra Klein to the Rescue
The next morning, I went for a run to clear my head. I listened to a podcast my wife had recommended: Ezra Klein’s Burned Out? Start Here. For those who don’t know, Klein is a New York Times columnist and podcast host who has a remarkable talent for articulating the things you’ve been feeling but couldn’t quite name.
In this episode, Klein discussed his own burnout and how he used to wake up every day feeling like he owed the world a debt of productivity. He described it as a “capitalist approach to the day”—the belief that if you don’t accomplish a certain amount, the day has no value. That hit me hard. I realized I’ve been living the same way, driven by to-do lists and the dopamine hit of crossing off tasks. But for what?
The Illusion of Goals
Klein’s insights led me to reflect on how I’ve structured my career. I’ve always been a goal-setter, someone who loves measurable outcomes. But as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve started to notice how hollow those achievements can feel.
When I worked in film, the cycle was clear: spend years on a project, finish it, release it, celebrate, and then immediately move on to the next one. The milestones felt significant—your name in the credits, a premiere party, too many drinks, and late-night karaoke in K-Town—but the underlying reality never changed. The success of one project was just a stepping stone to the next.
Now, working in software, the treadmill is even more evident. You launch a new product, and within hours, bug reports roll in. You patch, update, iterate, and repeat. Even when you hit a major milestone, it’s never really done.
This isn’t unique to creative fields. Whether you’re a bartender, a landscaper, or a fashion designer, the pattern is the same: you do the work, make the money, and then do it again. The cycle keeps going until, what, retirement? And even then, what does “success” mean?
Dancing in the Process
So, here’s where I’ve landed—at least for now. Goals aren’t bad. They give us direction, help us prioritize, and create moments to celebrate. But they’re also not enough. The real challenge is learning to dance in the process itself.
This year, I’m trying something different. I’m going to focus on the work for its own sake. Not the results, not the checkmarks, but the process. Because that’s all there is.
This doesn’t mean I have it all figured out. Far from it. But Klein’s podcast reminded me that the endless chase for productivity isn’t the only way to approach life or work. It’s okay to slow down, embrace the messy unpredictability of it all, and just… dance in the process.
An Open Question
So, how do you measure success in your career?
Is it about setting goals and celebrating milestones, even if they’re temporary?
Or is it about letting go of the need for measurable progress and focusing instead on the joy of the work itself?
I don’t have the answers, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. As Klein pointed out, our modern world isn’t always set up for the way our brains work, but perhaps by sharing our experiences, we can find new ways to navigate it together.
The 3D Artist Community Updates
This week, we have Steve Diamond joining the 3D Artist Community for an AMA! Steve is an award-winning creative professional in fashion and sportswear, has led top-performing collections and driven digital transformation with 3D tools. Known for balancing creativity with business acumen, he excels in innovation, strategy, and building diverse teams.
3D Merch is here and we have a new hoodie!
3D News of the Week
Nvidia announces next-gen RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs - The Verge
Getty Images and Shutterstock to Merge, Creating a Premier Visual Content Company - Shutterstock
Video Games Can’t Afford to Look This Good - NY Times (paywall)
How ‘Wicked’ Director Jon M. Chu Used Apple Vision Pro During Film’s Post-Production - Hollywood Reporter
Maxon Welcomes Laubwerk to Their Expanding Family of Innovative Tools - Maxon
3D Job Spreadsheet
Link to Google Doc With A TON of Jobs in Animation (not operated by me)
Hello! Michael Tanzillo here. I am the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.
In addition to his work as an artist, I am the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging. I also created The 3D Artist Community on Skool and this newsletter.
www.michaeltanzillo.com
Free 3D Tutorials on the Michael Tanzillo YouTube Channel
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