Category Archives: Real life

Back in the very beginning of January, I posted a few blogs about setting goals for the 2018 year.  I bought the 2018 power sheets and have been using them as I can.

This year I have decided to do quarter goals rather than annual goals because it just seemed a bit smaller and more attainable to look over 3 months rather than 12 months.  So how am I doing?  Read below to see both my personal and business goals.  Black is the goal, red is how I did!

So Internet, here are my quarter one business goals for 2018:

• Create systems for the business from start to finish for both my wedding and portrait clients.-DONE!!  I have a PDF created and a loose leaf paper attached to every wedding folder and included in every folder on the computer!
• Be able outsource all my social media in my busy season and get it to where I want it in the slow season. For quarter 1, I had the time to pull all my social posts together myself.  I have dedicated one day a month to do insta posts and one day a week to pull together content for my Facebook posts and schedule everything out.  I will try this again for quarter 2, and see how it goes and reevaluate at the end to see if I need to hire out for this position.
• Create content for the blog and social media for the entire year- Unrealistic.  Seriously I think I was being overzealous to finish this.  I was able to go out per quarter with content, and now have posts on the blog calendar through June!  Writing them take way more time than I planned for, so taking a day a month seems a bit easier!
• Put all 2018 numbers to paper and get the calendar set with sessions, weddings, events and mini sessions- Done!!  I am fully booked with weddings for 2018, and already half way booked for mini’s and regular family sessions!!
• Change pricing structure and create pricing information to go along with it.  Done!  I am so happy with where I am at.  This only really took a day to go through, but needed to happen!

My personal goals were a bit worse off.  I failed are more than I would like to admit to, and it is pretty crazy to see how the business can take over! Finding balance has been really hard for me as I am a natural do-er.  Thankfully talking with Kevin has been so helpful in finding that balance.  I am so thankful for my husband!

• Connect weekly with extended family.  This can with be by text, phone calls, letters, or personal interaction with them.- My sister and I chat once a week on Monday’s (Such a gift!) I still want to connect more and will continue to work at these in quarter 2!
• Get a regular exercise routine down, and include kids in it- YES!  As it has gotten warmer, I am out walking again!  I connected with a bride turned friend and we are planning on running/ walking 2018 miles for the 2018 year.  She is WAY ahead of me, but I check in weekly and still pushing forward!  This quarter I am adding the 21 day fix back in to my schedule so I am ready to go and feel good for the 2018 wedding season!
• Create box gardens for my home, plan and build in quarter 1, plant in quarter 2, harvest in quarter 3, evaluate in quarter 4. Working on this one. Pinterest is great, and my inlays are here this weekend, so hopefully we can create a space for these lucious plants!
• Continue on with my Bible Reading through Studies (She Reads Truth is my favorite now and I just began a study on hospitality that is rocking my world) Loving this app, just got through part of the Lent and will be starting a new study on Timothy!
• Finish completely re-doing Elise’s room (Painting, new furniture for my almost 11 year old by the end of February!) Done!!  We repainted, but decided to wait on new furniture because we may be putting new carpet into this space.
• Put together photo books for my family!- Ha, ha.  I have high hopes for myself.  Still woking on getting some together, maybe a yearbook, we shall see.  Fail….
• Date night once a month with Kevin- If you count in home date nights or out with friends, we nailed this one!