2018 Goals
Every year, I dedicate myself to achieving new things and setting goals to reach for. The new year is the perfect time for a fresh start. This year will be a huge stepping stone for me as I aim to grow my blog, but I do have a few other more personal goals I would love to share and that I hope can inspire you to come up with a list of your own!
1. Taking a Monthly "Me Day"
Life can get so hectic and sometimes we forget to take time for ourselves. Even on a day off, I find myself doing all sorts of things that still include work/school, or most likely I waste the day away by sleeping or watching TV all day. For some, that might be the best day off ever! I enjoy those lazy days too, but there's also times I look back and wish I did something more exciting/adventurous. Some things I plan to do on these days include: taking a long walk/run, going to a yoga class, antiquing, going to the Art Museum, spa days, going out to shoot (pictures, not guns...I always feel the need to clarify that..haha), and whatever else my heart desires! I tried to do this last year, and I only did it a handful of times but it was so much fun and truly refreshing to take some time for myself. A helpful way to impliment this into a regular schedule would be to mark the day on the calander and try to make your "me day" the same every month. For example the number of your birthday (mine would be the 2nd of every month) or the first Monday of every month would be a great idea, but of course whatever fits your schedule will be easiest to stick to. It is best to mark the days in your calander ahead of time so you don't forget.
2. Be Healthier
Of course, this is everyone's New Year's resolution just about every year- but it's important to set specific goals in order to actually achieve the broad statement of "healthy". Some of my specifics include:
Drinking More Water- I downloaded an app called Daily Water that lets me track how many glasses I've had and it is so helpful! There are eight water cup icons and all you have to do is tap the cup every time you've had a cup of water in real life- its so easy! It is a perfect indicator of how much water you regularly drink and a great way to keep your daily goals.
Weekly Yoga Practice- I've just recently gotten into yoga and have found so incredibly beneficial to my life in so many aspects. I've never really been one of those "gym girls" or super into strenuous workouts, but I do love to stay active. Yoga is a great way to take some relaxation time while also working basically every part of your body. Last semester I had a yoga class twice a week, and it was the best part of my day being able to relax and stay active between classes. Now that I'm on my own, I've started looking into some awesome YouTube videos of various yoga practices. I plan to share some of my favorites once I've tried a few.
Less Sweets- Okay, lets be realistic here- yeah right... haha. Seriously though, I have such a terrible sweet tooth. I will literally go to the store and buy a whole cake or like five bags of candy just for myself. This probably won't change though. It's just my lifestyle.
3. Stay Organized
This is a tough one for me sometimes. Being a full time student and business owner, I tend to have a lot on my plate. Whether it's homework or keeping my receipts for tax write offs, I'm always so all over the place. Part of the reason is that I usually have a really hard time getting rid of things because you know, "maybe one day I'll really need this even though I know it will just sit in my junk drawer for the next 10 years"..anyone else?
This year I've already made a huge stepping stone on this one. We're in the process of some pretty hardcore home renovations, so it was the perfect excuse to get rid of some junk. I seriously filled up about 15 full garbage bags of old clothes and things I never use and sent them to Goodwill. I didn't even know i had that much stuff! It is so refreshing to have clear space and a fresh start. The best motto for getting rid of things is that if you haven't touched it in a year, you probably won't even realize it's gone. Another way to keep this goal alive is to get rid of things right away and stop putting useless things in a pile with other useless things. Seriously- you won't miss it and you won't ever need it. Just get rid of it right away.
4. Business Growth
Since 2017 was my first real year as a full time photographer and legal business owner, I was still trying to learn the ropes a bit. I thank God for my successes throughout 2017, but I can't wait for this year now that I actually have an idea of what I'm doing. Being a business owner is such a continuous learning experience, and it's so exciting to look back on how much I have learned already and how much more I will learn over time. Some of my smaller goals to accomplish this is to double my clientele, triple my income, buy a third camera body, expand to videography, and aim towards my ideal audience/clients by keeping strict branding.
2017 was an amazing year full of so many amazing experiences and accomplishments, but I am so ready and determined to make 2018 the best year yet!
xo
