Well, it’s the second week of January (seriously, when did that happen!?) and I’ve yet to post my goals for the year. Better late than never, right?

As I get older, every year seems to get a little bit better than the last — does that ever change? I ask because people seem so scared to age! And while, yes, physically, that is terrifying to most of us (if you’ve found a grey hair already, you know what I’m talking about), mentally & emotionally it seems that the more I learn and grow the more I enjoy my life. 2015, I’m ready for you – I cannot wait to see what you have in store for me this year!

Here are a few things I’d like to accomplish this year, both professionally and personally…

Business:

• Capture all my 2015 weddings well. After attending Creative at Heart, it put a little nugget in my brain to focus on being more intentional this year. Originally I had set a “number of weddings” goal that I wanted to meet; however, I realized that, no matter how many weddings I shoot in 2015, I just want to ensure that they are all done to the best of my ability. Happy clients are what matter most.

• Attend 2-3 awesome workshops. I am a firm believer in education; no matter how long you have been in an industry, there is always growth that can be accomplished. I do have to admit, this one is a shoo-in (hey, we have to have one easy one, right?) — I already attended one incredible workshop and have signed up for 2 more.  I love learning from other photographers and creatives – it lights a fire in me and sends me home with new ideas to incorporate into my business.

• Integrate film into my work: I bought my first film camera a few weeks ago (see my first sessions here and here) and fell in love immediately. I honestly planned to only use it for personal look, but I think it is a beautiful complement to digital images and would love to shoot, at minimum, one roll of film per session or wedding day as a gift to my clients.

• Refine my client gifts: One of my biggest takeaways from attending Katie’s workshop last summer was to give back to my clients. I’ve started with a welcome gift, but plan to incorporate a few more fun ideas throughout our relationship! After all, who deserves it more than the people who put their trust in me!?

• Streamline my workflow: For me, part of working more intentionally this year is going to be focused on finding a work/life balance. In order to facilitate this, I am working on designing a feasible post-wedding workflow to stay on schedule with editing.

• Design & order a new sample album: This one is pretty straightforward – I offer leather & linen albums and only have a leather sample. I would love to have a linen sample album to show clients as well.

• Book an international wedding: This is my BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for the year – not because I feel that I need to shoot internationally, but because I want to! It’s pretty evident if you read my blog (here, here, here, here and here) that travel is one of my greatest loves. To have the opportunity to combine two of my passions would be a dream.

Personal:

• Travel somewhere new: Might as well pick up where we just left off… you know that saying, “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”? — I fully support and believe in that. There is nothing like seeing a new city or landscape for the first time, it can literally take your breath away. We’re really excited to see where 2015 takes us :)

• Maintain fitness: I currently workout 3-5 times per week (okay, more like 3 than 5… okay, more like 2 than 3… ) and want to continue that throughout 2015. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely hard during the busy season and usually one of the first things to drop off my “to-do” list, but taking care of myself in all aspects will only make me a better photographer.

• Learning to say no: This sounds like a negative goal but I promise it isn’t! I am definitely a people pleaser and tend to say yes when I may not have the time. I need to learn to say no, gracefully, and hope that people understand. In the words of Ron Swanson, “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”

• Read more books: I love to read — before I started this business, I used to read nearly a book a week due to all the time I spend commuting. I now use that time to edit, but I would love to still find time to read.

• Photograph more personal work: It’s easy to not bring your camera places when it is part of your job; however, many of my mentors have encouraged just the opposite, explaining that shooting just for you can re-ignite an excitement in you. I plan to test this out more in 2015!

I’ll be revisiting these in December to see how I do this year!