I’m so excited to finally be writing this post! I have been revising these lists in my head for months now. You’d think I might have grabbed a piece of paper and a pen or typed these things into my phone at some point, but I didn’t. Two babes, 2 and under. It’s no joke, I’m telling you. Pens? AKA weapons and tools of destruction. They are locked tightly away. Or at least too far away for me to grab one quickly when I have an idea. So this is the first time I’m getting all of this down.
I have never really written my goals down before. It feels weird to say that, or even to think it. I guess when you’re doing something like going to grad school and your goal is to get your PhD, everyone knows (and they ask you when you’ll be done ALL. THE. TIME. ; )) It’s a little bit different with these goals, though. If I don’t get them down and put them out into the universe, it’s almost like they never existed. So, here goes. (If you read my last post, remember that my word for this year is trust.)
Business Goals
Try a new genre of photography. I’m really excited and nervous about this one. It’s going to take me out of my comfort zone. And no, I’m not going to tell you what I’m thinking quite yet. But look for a portfolio-building call very soon!
Shoot at least one birth from belly to baby. That means maternity, birth, and newborn sessions all for the same client(s). I want to tell a story from beginning to (new) beginning. I am so thankful I have this for my boys and I want to give it to other mothers.
Blog more. Already working on it, see? As a former academic, I used to write all day long. It’s a different kind of writing, sure, but I do miss it sometimes. Plus, I’d love it if we could be online friends and you’d follow me! : )
Select some amazing products to offer my clients. Although this is a business goal, it has a personal element. I have been TERRIBLE about printing photos. We have lived in our house for almost an entire year, and I don’t have a single photo on our walls. Not one single photo! So I need to be better about this on a personal level, but I also want my clients to have the option of holding their photos in their hands. I know we live in a digital age, and digital files are really important to me and Travis. Yes, we totally plan on passing down a hard drive (or several) of images to our kids. But I want them to have something tangible, too. And I want to have something tangible in the meantime.
Personal Goals
Finish shooting one photo of Eliot every day for his first year. This shouldn’t be too hard at this point because I’m almost done. He turns one in March, you guys. I can’t believe it. I will go ahead and pat myself on the back a little bit here, though. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. It’s a project I did for Merit, and it was difficult then. But it was infinitely harder with two kids. I often think that my personal photos are not as good as my client photos because I’m worried about someone bashing their face or losing a tooth (life with boys, I guess?). Even still, I am so thankful that I have these records. And I will finish it! Even if it makes me slack off on some of my other goals (ahem — see below).
Engage in more self-care. Take time to paint my toenails (or get a pedicure!), take a bubble bath, go get a coffee by myself. Moms, you know what I’m talking about. With two little ones so young, I am really bad about this. But I know how important it is, so I want to do better!
Travel. Somewhere. Anywhere. As a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, I would really like to go somewhere other than the grocery store and the kids’ gym. I miss traveling so much. I just want to stay in a hotel and walk around a new place. It doesn’t even have to be new, actually. Just anywhere other than here. (Still love you, Gainesville, but I need to switch it up!)
Finish “tidying up”. Have you read Marie Kondo’s book? I thought some of it was a little out there in the beginning, and I was unsure how it would go with kids in the picture, but I am seriously loving it.
Shoot more for me. I love taking photos of my kids. Like so many women I know, it’s why I really got into photography in the first place. But maybe I’d like to take photos of something else. Or maybe I’d like to shoot my kids differently. Not worry about shooting for them to remember something. Shooting for me. Different, but related: I’d also like to get in the shot more.
Add new recipes to our rotation more often. Life is too short to eat the same meals over and over.
There are a few more, too. But I have to keep something to myself, right? ; )
.png)
