2016 | A New Year | Personal Post
If I am being honest, 2015 was filled with many, many up and many, many downs. And while I am very grateful for the last 12 months, I am even more grateful that for every end there is a new beginning!
A few highlights from 2015: I met and exceeded my goal of wedding clients! I attended many conferences and educational events! I met Katelyn James! I was able to pursue my dream of running my business full time! I became the leader of #920tuesdays! I got in front of the camera myself (3 times to be exact)! My cat came to live with me! My little sister got married! I photographed a Hindu-American wedding! My best friend got engaged! I bought a new Macbook!
Below are three personal goals and three business goals that I have set for myself this year:
Personal
- Community
“Be the invitation!”. I loved this quote when I heard Lara Casey talk at The Rising Tide Summit in December. As a creative and self proclaimed “work-a-holic”, it is so easy for me to sit in my office and days later realize it’s been a week since I’ve socialized or reached out to friends. The truth is, we are made for community. Humans crave it and our relationships with others should be the most important part of our days. - Travel & Explore
I always thought you had to have someone by your side to travel, but really, you dont! I am hoping to go on a few solo adventures this year and some with friends! Wherever I go, I want to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. - Volunteer
For the last couple of months my heart has had a heavy calling to find a way to volunteer and give back to the community. The Fox Valley is such a wonderful place to call home and I am hoping it stays that way for a long time! This year, I am committing to finding a cause or program that I am passionate about while making a positive impact through volunteering!
Business
- Rebrand & Relaunch!
I am looking forward to finding and catering to an ideal client base. A strong brand is such an important part to a small business and I am excited to see how this will propel and bring consistency to my work!
- Workflow
This goal is on the list every year and so important for any business owner, especially when you wear more than one hat as an entrepreneur! Finding an efficient workflow is a key part to being able to provide a great client experience and stay on top of things without losing yourself to your work. I am constantly looking for ways to streamline tasks and work smarter, not harder. - Read More Books
“You are the books you read and the people you surround yourself with”. I am a firm believer that you can never stop learning when it comes to business. Some books that are on my list this year are: Big Magic, You Are A Badass, The Finishing School,anythingeverything by Seth Godin, and many more!
BONUS GOAL!
Keep my car clean! This is a personal goal AND a business goal because nothing makes me happier than a clean car (seriously!). When you are a wedding photographer traveling across the state, transporting gear, and sneaking in lunch between locations things can get a little messy during busy season. I think someone should start a personal, at-home car cleaning service 😉
What are some of your goals for 2016?? Comment below!
Yay!! So many lovely goals!! 🙂 Can’t wait to see the new rebrand!!
These are great goals! So many of them could be my own goals too. I especially love what you said about community. And Big Magic and Seth Godin are definitely worth reading! I’ll have to check out the other books you mentioned.
I love starting the year with goals and you have a lot of them! I hope this year brings you much success in your business and in life. Cheers!
Great goals! One of mine is to focus on my overall experience and give my couples something unique and special.
Goals in the new year are always my hardest “task” because I feel like a failure if I don’t meet them…but also if I don’t MAKE them. Sounds like 2015 was a great year for you, hope this year is better!!!