It’s a new year!

I’m making new goals!

Over this past year I set a few personal goals for myself in hopes that I would actually achieve them. I can honestly say that I believe I achieved exactly what I needed to for my growth not only in my business but the person that I have become. I think my business has made me more humbled, patient and most of all thankful.

I didn’t tell anyone my goals I had this year. I wrote them on a piece of paper and stored them away like they were a secret. Not that I’m ashamed to have goals but I think we all have those intimate parts about us that we like to keep locked away. Maybe I kept it this way for the thoughts of failure… no one ever wants to fail especially if it’s their deepest desire for something. I literally had to let go of my fear this year. Which is such a hard thing to do! I’m not an OCD planner by any means but I want order and structure in my life. I wanted to think things happened in events and they just don’t happen. I’m here to tell you that THINGS JUST HAPPEN! You cannot plan life! As much as you want to plan your life you just can’t. I learned all about that this year!

Almost a year ago I took my first photography workshop with Bobbi Peterson of Twig and Olive Photography. I was really skeptical about doing this because workshops are expensive. My only thought was am I wasting this money to learn nothing. Is this going to help me achieve these goals. These goals that I have stored away into the most intimate part of my heart. I left that workshop feeling inspired and excited! A few weeks passed and I felt kind of sad to be honest. All these things Bobbi mentioned were so much work and I thought how am I going to get everything done!

At this time I had been working in dentistry for 10 years. All of those years one thing has always stuck out to me in that career. I really hated having a boss to be honest. My personality is very giving and I am a “helper”. I found myself always being the one going beyond when I was asked to do something. I did it because that’s the person I am. Not that I cared to do anything for anyone… it wasn’t that at all. I could see a pattern of what I truly loved in my own business because when a client asked me to do something I had joy about doing it.

I left one dental job for another thinking that’s what my life needed. All the while my first goal for this past year was to quit my job and be a full time photographer. I think I came to the realization that I needed to be a photographer at the job I took. I wont go into detail but you can read more about that decision I made here.

My second goal was to find what makes me “happy”. I think all the creatives reading this understand what I mean when I say “happy”. I’m going to get really vulnerable and say how hard it is to be in the photography industry. There’s so much talent! It can be really easy to let your thoughts get the best of you. We are human and we are our own worst critics especially if we are critiquing our own work. You have to get to the point when your happy. You have to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and do what makes you happy. That’s how I found my “happy” and I think you can see it in my work now because I don’t want to be like anyone else I just want to be me.. happy me.

I set my heart on film this year. I guess you could say learning how to shoot film was one of my goals. I wanted to learn and convert everything I was doing before to shooting film. I can honestly say for me that was the best thing I could have done for myself personally. Photography to me is personal. Every moment I embrace as I’m creating. I can feel love when I’m taking those pictures. I think the best way for me to describe what I’m talking about is finding love for the first time. You know that feeling in your heart, that indescribable feeling. That is exactly how I feel every time I’m taking pictures. Film amplifies those feelings so much more! I have to wait for those moments to be developed. To me they mean so much more when I see them for the first time. I get to have that “feeling” all over again.

One of the last goals I made for myself this year was to meet more people and to have more wedding clients for this coming year. I have met so many nice vendors this year that have been so helpful and welcoming! I am so grateful to each and everyone of them for their knowledge and friendships! I have more than doubled my wedding clients for this year! I think all of this happened because I finally let my securities go! I stopped hovering over doubt and fear and I started living!

I’m not afraid to tell you my goals for this year. I think if your a business owner reading this you should write down what your goals are and why you have them. It’s the best thing I ever did for myself!

#1 Learning everything there is to know about creative lighting using flash! I want to incorporate more artistic OCF into my reception photos!

#2 Incorporate teaching or a helpful tips blog for photographers. I’ve always loved teaching and helping others with photography. I’m not sure what this means or what the plan is for this. I just know this is something that makes me happy.

#3 Having the thought that I am living with a purpose. Minister more to others, be more patient, and embrace everyday like it’s my last.

If you made it this far reading this post I just love you! I really didn’t intend for this post to be this long so thank you for sticking it out :).

With love,

Michelle