photo source

This past Tuesday at the opportunity to speak at Raleigh’s Wedding Photographic Society. What a great group of photographers who meet together, dream together, ask questions, and challenge one another! I was so honored to be asked to speak, and I chose the topic of setting goals. There are so, so, so many topics to choose to speak on in small business ownership, but this is one that sets my heart on fire. Truly, nothing has pushed me further or inspired me more than setting my own goals and reaching them.

To be honest, (as I was with the group on Tuesday,) when I first began setting monthly goals, I was awful at it! I thought I could do about 17 goals in 1 month, and I would completely overload my plate. When the following month rolled around, I’d feel like a failure. But the truth is, if you stick with it, you learn what you are capable of. You learn to set reasonable goals, that are specific, that are measurable, that are your goals, that have a deadline.  And most importantly – you share those goals with yourself and those around you by putting them into writing. (Read more thoughts on Goal Setting here.)

So, with that said, I am continuing in my goal setting this month, but I’m not perfect! I did not clean out my closet last month, so I’m hopefully going to do that this week. I also didn’t practice guitar, because my time and energy was focused on my half marathon. I also got bronchitis, which forced me to rest and not see that 6am alarm clock for about 10 days straight. BUT… I did finish both books (and one of the books listed below!), my half marathon, I hosted a lovely dinner party, and I successfully accomplished all the other goals listed. So, with renewed vision and inspiration, here are my goals for March! Always remember – if you simply keep up the habit of setting goals, amazing things will inevitably follow.

March 2013 Goals

• 15 in 12: Read Weird and Think and Grow Rich   

• Practice guitar 15 minutes/day, 3 days/week +  schedule my next guitar lesson

• Clean out my closet & give a bunch of stuff away

• Establish my girls’ small group at church & reach out to each them individually

• Begin leading our 4th FPU Class at church

• Kick off wedding season with our first wedding of the year!

• Have 1 day of rest each week with no social media
  

  And specifically relating to the quote at the top of this post, this month I am going to be very intentional about my health:

• Establish a new running and exercise routine (now that I don’t have a race!)

• Ride my roadbike 2x/week

• Embrace a complete and permanent lifestyle change in regards to my diet. And I’m excited about it!

What are your goals for this month? Leave a link in the comments!

This weekend I accomplished one of my 2013 goals and ran in the Crystal Coast Half Marathon. I was so nervous, so pumped, so scared about the weather, so unsure of myself. But, I DID IT. It was an amazing run, and I am so grateful that I was healthy and able to accomplish this goal!

I did have a few personal goals for the race that I wasn’t sure if I could accomplish:

1. I wanted to run the entire time. Other than stopping for water/bathroom breaks, I wanted to be running.
2. I wanted to stay on my fuel plan for the race, which meant staying mentally sharp and being aware of what I was consuming each mile.
3. I wanted to beat my personal record from last year’s half marathon (2 hours 24 minutes)

A few weeks ago when I was at the most intense part of my training, I got bronchitis. I had just finished my 9 mile run, and I still had several long runs left to go – including the 10-miler that was my last long run before the race. Instead of training, I was weak as a dog, on my couch with a terrible cough and no voice! I was so discouraged.  I did get out and force myself to run 2.5 miles when I had bronchitis, which I immediately regretted. I needed to rest and recover, which was really, really hard to do knowing this race was only weeks away! I gave up on my goals of beating my personal record and running the whole time, because I didn’t believe I could do it. I didn’t even know if I could run in the race.

[All photos taken by Will, of course!]

After 10 days of bronchitis, I was able to start running again the week of my race.  When I talked to my coach, Bob, the Wednesday before the race, he told me to stop doubting myself and go for it. Go for all of my goals, and don’t hold back.

But what if I can’t do it? But what if I injure myself? But what if I get sick again? But what if it’s raining? 

While my doubts kept creeping in my mind, Bob just kept telling me that I could do it. That I was an athlete, that I had faithfully trained for this, and that I was able. The belief he had in me was all I needed to give it my best shot, despite my recent illness, and just go for it.  Encouragement is so powerful. Believing in others, and telling them you believe in them, can change them. Calling others to a higher level can change their thinking and their attitude towards life. Bob’s words did that for me. It was just what I needed.

I’m proud to say…
I ran the entire time.
I stayed on track with my fuel plan for the entire race, mile by mile.
And I beat last year’s half marathon by almost 10 minutes, finishing at 2 hours and 16 minutes! (And that was in the rain, including all water and bathroom breaks!)

I love to run. This is honestly something that I never, ever thought I would be doing (much less enjoying!) in my life. I grew up as a kid who did not like sports, who did not enjoy running around or even breaking a sweat. I liked life calm and simple. Now, I can’t get enough of it! And I’m going to start biking and swimming this year too. There’s something about being active that makes you come alive – it’s how we were created to be. And to be honest, the Lord speaks to me when I run… so clearly. It’s amazing. I know that running has strengthened my relationship with Him. This race was so challenging and so rewarding this weekend, and I did it.

I must say a big, BIG thank you to my 2 biggest supporters throughout this weekend! Will and Winston surprised me throughout the race – probably at 6 or 7 different places – to encourage me, take photos, check on me, and cheer for me… all in the rain. Winston was all too eager to run with me, which was quite hilarious (and entertaining for the other runners)! And Will was such an amazing support: quoting scripture to me, reading encouraging texts from friends and family, asking if I needed anything. I was smiling SO big in all these photos because I was about to see him again. I love you so much, babe.

So, maybe you love your couch and love TV. Maybe you can’t identify with this post at all because I’m one of those weird fitness-nuts now. But maybe you can identify with me before I started running – never interested in anything athletic or challenging. From one former non-athlete to another, let me just tell you: you can do this if you want to. It’s not too late. I promise, if I can do it, so can you. Yes, it takes sacrifice and planning, but the reward is so worth it! No matter your goal, all you need is a good plan, hard work, and belief that you can accomplish it. Then just watch – you will accomplish it.

I did, and so can you.

(Giving my talk on “setting goals” at Branches and Light)

February Goals

• Read 15 in 12: Read Daring Greatly 

• Read The Monk and the Merchant

• Host a fancy Valentine’s Dinner Party (with a really fun theme!)

• Wake up at 6am Sundays – Thursdays

• Practice Guitar 4 out of 7 days/week. (My first lesson was awesome!)

• Run an official Half Marathon

• Photograph a styled shoot in film only

• Clean out my closet and give lots away to those who need it more than I do

• Shop at Trader Joes and join a co-op

I must say, I hit the ground running as soon as 2013 arrived. My excitement for this year and my goals have really propelled me forward, and I am excited to say I made serious progress in January:

– I had my first guitar lesson
– I bought a roadbike and lots of geeky gear to go with it
– I signed up for an official half marathon (!)
– I sent out invitations to a dinner party
– I completed the Whole30 (insert really proud, happy dance here!)
– We decided on our Anniversary trip destination & budget
– I successfully hosted the Branches and Light workshop with Caroline. What a day!
– I got even more fired up about my own goals while teaching a session on goal-setting at Branches and Light. Nothing makes you own something more than when you teach it to others.

Keep in mind that Wedding Season is around the corner, so I do have to jump on a few of these goals early to establish habits before the craziness hits! At a yearly glance, my life looks like this:

January through March:
– Intense business reset: taxes, backing up images, cleaning out computer, equipment send off, goal setting, growth, and wedding season prep.
– Intense personal life resent: dreaming, goal-setting, re-assessing what did and didn’t work last year, reading a ton, tackling as many goals as possible and enjoying life while I still have free weekends to myself.

April through November:
– Work diligently. Spend my weekends photographing weddings and serving at church. Spend my weekdays shooting sessions, teaching FPU, helping Will lead the youth group. Do my best to maintain work-life balance to honor the Lord. Insert throughout: Summer Camp, Family Dinners, Missions trip, Visits to Nashville, Lock-in, Anniversary Trip.

December:
– Spend time with family. Recover. Catch up on edits. Love and serve my brides until Christmas break.

With that in mind, I am full of anticipation, ready to tackle February with vigor! I only have a few precious months each year where I can reset my life and business. I am super intentional about that this year. Not only am I going to work hard to reset this month, but I am going to enjoy every minute. I will spend time with Will. I will spend time with family. I will rest and prepare. I will live a life of gratitude and generosity. I will listen to the voice of the Lord; I will not block it with my schedule or busyness.

I will do what matters and forget the rest. February, we’re going to be great friends!