Did you know that 85% of new years resolution are given up on by March? That’s why I’m choosing to share mine late in the game. So here we are – my official resolutions of 2018! Before we start, if you missed the first three parts to my series you can find them here.
- Have a work + life balance.
Late last year I had a realization that I had no separation between my work life and my personal life. I think many small business owners or self employed people can relate to this. We live in an age where email is always at our fingertips and I found myself neglecting my own personal life and putting my business first, always. It was time for a change! More on that topic, here.
Action Steps:
a. Set specific work hours & weekly schedule. STICK TO IT.
b. Specific times of the day with no screen time. I have worked this into my morning routine and it’s been life altering.
c. Delegate more. I have very capable assistants that can do amazing things!
- Grow slow and intentionally instead of fast without purpose.
This is a hard one for me! I found myself being so blessed by business growth last year that I really didn’t know how to control or focus it. This is a great problem to have, but this fast growth began taking over my life and it was quickly overwhelming. More on that topic, here.
Action Steps:
a. Narrow down a brand. STICK TO IT. My brand includes newborns, kids, families, and seniors. It is hard but I say no to most other types of sessions. (weddings, headshots, events, etc.) I have also narrowed my brand down even more this year including colors I love (neutrals and pastels), styles I love (light, airy, lifestyle, candid), and clients that I love (people who are kind).
b. Say no to anything that doesn’t fit within the brand. This is HARD!
c. Say no to things that don’t matter. This is also hard. If it isn’t going to grow and better my brand or my personal life I have to say no. I highly recommend the book Present Over Perfect. This has helped me in a huge way with this goal already.
d. Accept that I am not right for every client and not every client is right for me. I used to take it very personally if a client had something negative to say, or was just downright mean. (It happens!). Now I can easily brush it off my shoulders and accept that it’s a two-way street and not every client is my ideal client. I also know I am not the perfect photographer and price for every person. But I’m SO thankful for the amazing clients that I do have that trust me with their special moments!
- Cut back on expenses.
Action Steps:
a. Evaluate budget weekly instead of monthly. Here’s a transparent look into my budgeting.
b. Cut back on spending. Growing slow means spending slow. This one is a MAJOR struggle for me daily. Can you say prop addiction?
c. Save more for long term investments. I love my studio, but my end goal is to build and invest in a studio instead of rent one like I am now.
- Feel healthy.
I know this is a very broad goal, but instead of struggling with my appearance & having a target weight goal I decided I just want to FEEL better.
Action Steps:
a. Be more conscious about what I’m putting in my body. Focusing on a healthy thyroid diet 80% of the time but still enjoying things I love. Balance is crucial for me to succeed. I would love to write a blog specifically about my struggle with my endocrine system and the thyroid healthy diet. If you’re interested in hearing more about that please reach out!
b. Be more conscious about what I put on my body. Researching and using healthy beauty products and cleaning products.
c. Make a weekly exercise routine priority and carve out routine time for that in my schedule. I always have great intentions with this and slack off when I get busy.
d. Stick to my new morning routine. I have been using my mornings to focus on the things that really matter most. Read more about that here.
- Grow Our Marriage
Between two jobs, his graduate school, family, health, etc, it is easy to let your marriage take a back burner and coast through life without intention. We each make it a priority to set relationship goals. I will say – one thing we absolutely recommend is the Five Love Languages book. It’s an amazing resource when it comes to pouring into your spouse and the best way to do it! On top of these new goals, I feel like we both do a great job of doing small things each day to love each other well based on those love languages.
Action Steps:
a. Travel – Take one weekend trip per month. We love taking trips to spend quality time together.
b. Husband/Wife devotional book each month. Some we’ve loved so far: Five Love Languages, The Power of a Praying Wife, The Power of a Praying Husband, His Needs Her Needs
3. Organize the house top to bottom.
If you know me you might laugh at this one. Some would say my house is already organized, but there is still so much I want to go through and clean! Ryan and I both truly function better in an organized space, and we also view our home as a ministry opportunity with open doors. We both want our house to be calm and inviting for anyone who steps in those doors.
Action Steps:
a. Make a long list of everything to clean out in the house (or go room to room)
b. Clean out one thing per day until I finish the list, even if it’s a small task like going through mail or a sock drawer.
- Love people.
This really should be number one at the top of my list. It’s what we live for.
a. Start a new bible study group that my friend Ali and I have been talking about for a year. Time to make this happen.
b. One intentional dinner, lunch, facetime, or coffee date per week. This will be with friends, family, business, or a new people we want to get to know.
- Pediatric certification test
Most of you know this but I’m a pediatric nurse in my spare time. (Haha). This is a test you can take after two years in a pediatric role and I’m going on year four so I need to check it off the bucket list.
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