Tuesday, December 27, 2011

2012 Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions... you've got to have them, right?  Last year I decided to get serious about the business and my resolutions reflected that.  Before I get into my 2012 resolutions, let's see how I did on 2011's:

Work harder at directing, not just photographing.  I feel like I did a pretty good job here with the high school seniors I worked with and also at the weddings I photographed.  Of course, I'm not directing every little detail, but I'm happy with the balance my style has taken.

Continue to grow and maintain my network. I definitely continued to grow my network and it had an enormous impact on my business!  Not only that, but I've met some amazing people as well.

Be more selective about who I donate time to.  I actually said no to a few organizations who asked me to donate my time.  Don't get me wrong, if I could donate to every organization I believed in I would, but there's only so much of me to go around.

Join some organizations.  Last year I joined the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce and absolutely loved it! Not only did it help to grow my network, but it also connected me with some amazing business owners who continually inspire me.

Develop the business side of things. Definitely nailed this one.  I feel like I have a much better grasp on the business side of things than I did last year at this time.  Is it weird that I'm actually excited to crunch some numbers to see how I came out for the year?


OK, so last year's resolutions were handled pretty well!  What's in store for 2012?  Let's just see...

- Take a risk, every single day.  I came up with this idea way back in November.  I took some risks in 2011.  Most of them were pretty painless and some of them even paid off.  What might happen if I took a risk every single day?  I'm not talking walking in front of a bus or anything crazy, but what would happen if I said what was on my mind a little more often, if I made a phone call or sent an email I might be hesitant to make or if I took some shots during a shoot that I might typically skip?  We'll see.

- Shoot more personal work.  I've really enjoyed shooting film this year.  I'm planning on shooting much more in 2012 for my personal work, as well as setting up some personal shoots.  The inspiration and freedom that comes from shooting for yourself can not be matched and are invaluable in my development as a creative individual.

- Focus my business and business goals.  I see myself taking on fewer events and families in 2012 and taking more weddings and high school seniors.  It's not that I don't enjoy events or families, but I really want to focus my work.  With my business goals, I already know what my general numbers are and what to aim for, but I want to be more engaged on a regular basis and know if I'm on track to make all of my goals for the year at any given point in time.

- Network, network, network!  This has been one of the most useful things I've done for my business and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.  In 2012, I want to attend 3 networking events  (and I use the term "networking event" loosely) per month.  

Wish me luck!

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